


Love Is In The Square Tonight

by Maggies_Scribblings



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Feed Adrien Agreste, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Love Square Fluff Week 2k20, LoveSquareFluffWeek2020, Marichat, Minor Character Death, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square Week, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Romance, adrienette - Freeform, csi au, ladrien, post-hawkmoth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22576219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maggies_Scribblings/pseuds/Maggies_Scribblings
Summary: Life isn’t easy when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.Hawkmoth is gone... but that doesn’t mean the struggle is over for the heroes of Paris.Marinette is overwhelmed, Adrien is miles away and Chat Noir is MIA. Still, Ladybug powers on.But new threats and old flames threaten to throw everything off-balance.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 109
Kudos: 244





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This will be one multi-chapter story following the prompts from [Love Square Fluff Week 2020](https://lovesquarefluffweek.tumblr.com).  
> This is my first attempt at a challenge. Please be patient with me, I'm still a newbie at this.

######  _**Yesterday** _

“What do you _mean_ , you’re not going?” Marinette whined at her phone.

“I mean I have no choice.” Alya sighed, before adding enthusiastically, “I landed an exclusive one-on-one with Audrey Tautou on the set of her new film. I can’t waste this opportunity, they never let interns interview big stars!”

“OK, I guess. I’m happy for you, I swear. I know it’s a huge deal!” She tried to match her friend’s excitement with little success. “I just… didn’t want to go alone. It’s the first time I’m going to see _him,_ since… you know.”

“Oh, sweetie, I know. But you won’t be alone. Almost everyone in our old class will be there. And _he_ will be on stage anyway.”

“At least tell me Nino’s still going!” Marinette pleaded. She would need someone, if only to avoid being the only single person in the room. Now _that_ would be awkward.

“Sorry, I managed to get him an all access backstage pass!” Hearing a small groan, Alya reasoned. “You know he is still on the fence between music and film school. A set visit could be just the thing to make him decide.”

Marinette tried to show her support, she really did. After hanging up the call, she threw herself face-down on her bed.

Little by little, her plans for the future seemed out of reach, and she was second-guessing herself in every aspect of her life.

Her fashion studies had to be put on hold until next year. Marinette’s first choice, ESMOD, didn’t offer scholarships, and the schools that did had thousands of applicants from all over the world. Despite her high profile endorsements from Jagged Stone and Audrey Bourgeois, she lacked work experience in fashion and didn’t make the cut. Without financial aid, the tuition fees were too costly, so she decided to take a sabbatical. She planned to get a part-time job to earn enough for the first year’s tuition, and apply for as many contests as possible to generate some buzz and hopefully win some cash prizes. In her free time ( _ha!_ ) she would take up commissions to bulk up her portfolio with real-world designs.

Being the official Guardian of the Miraculous had its own set of challenges. She had to study the scanned Grimoire, get the Kwamis out for food, exercise and updates every few days, and keep the Miracle Box secure. Hiding it under her bed worked for a little while, until her mother found it when vacuuming and started asking questions. Marinette used her meagre savings to buy a safe, customized it herself to match her room and added a booby trap, similar to the one she had made for her journal once.

And of course, being Ladybug on top of it all. That was an altogether different story.

As for her love life ( _love life? what is that?_ ), well, that was the whole reason for today’s meltdown. She had dated Luka on and off for a couple of years. They had fun, and there certainly was a lot of affection there, but no harmony. He was too relaxed, she was too controlling. He was too open, she was too secretive. Both had trouble talking about their feelings and expressing exactly what they wanted from the relationship. Ultimately, they decided to end it. That had been only about three months ago, and it had certainly been a good breakup, whatever _that_ means. But showing up to the concert all alone, without her best friend by her side, was going to be weird.

######  _**This morning** _

> [Alya]: Have you checked your Insta yet?
> 
> [Marinette]: Not yet, just woke up. Why?
> 
> [Alya]: Check it. Now.

Marinette opened her Instagram app and right at the top was a story on Adrien’s private account, the one only his close friends could see. It was a selfie taken on a plane, the Paris night lights just visible through the window, with the caption: _Back home, finally!_

Her heart leapt a little, to her surprise — she was supposed to be over him and hadn’t thought about Adrien in _that way_ for the last three years. Marinette was dating Luka, he was dating Kagami, all were friendly and they even had a few awkward double dates and triple dates with Nino and Alya.

Marinette tried to remember the last time she’d seen him. How long ago was it? About a year?

######  **_Thirteen months ago_ **

> **TVI Breaking news**
> 
> **Hawkmoth is defeated**
> 
> _Nadja Chamack reporting live from the Eiffel Tower, where the villains Hawkmoth and Mayura have been captured. After a relentless battle that lasted several hours, Team Miraculous finally caught the infamous terrorists._
> 
> _Our news team has exclusive footage of the fight, which involved a record number of superheroes, some of which never seen before._

**●**

> **Le Monde**
> 
> **Gabriel Agreste exposed as Hawkmoth**
> 
> _The Gendarmerie has arrested the famous designer Gabriel Agreste and his assistant Nathalie Sancoeur on the charges of domestic terrorism, child endangerment and destruction of public property. The alleged criminals will be presented to a judge tomorrow morning._
> 
> **●**

> **Le Nouvel Économiste**
> 
> **Agreste Holdings plummets after shocking revelations**
> 
> _The fashion house management released a statement denying any involvement in its founder’s crimes. Stocks drop to a new record low, with France CAC 40 Index plunges 10% as a result._
> 
> _“Although Gabriel Agreste was active as creative director, the business and strategic decisions of Agreste Holdings are completely independent. The management board will calmly await further information on these allegations and continue its work as usual. No assets will be sold in the near future.”_

**●**

> **E! Fashion News Extra**
> 
> _The fashion world is in turmoil after one of the greatest French designers of his generation was arrested… His son, teen heartthrob model Adrien Agreste, is under custody of his aunt, socialite Amélie Graham de Vanilly… A source close to the family revealed that he will continue his education somewhere in the UK…_

**●**

> **Le Figaro**
> 
> **Obituary**
> 
> _Émilie Agreste (42) passed away yesterday morning. She is survived by her only son Adrien (17), her sister and nephew._
> 
> _The former socialite and film star, who had been reported missing five years ago, was declared dead at 10:45. The Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou issued the following press release:_
> 
> _“Mme. Agreste underwent two weeks of extensive testing, examinations and consultations with the best doctors in the world, and no effort was spared in trying to restore her health. The medical team considered that due to the supernatural nature of her illness, the five years of prolonged unconsciousness and lack of response to any stimuli, it was in the best interest of the patient to turn off her life support, to which the family agreed.”_
> 
> _No details on the time and location of the funeral have been revealed, as the family has requested privacy during this difficult time._

**●**

> **Ici Paris Magazine**
> 
> **SCANDAL!!!**
> 
> _Gabriel Agreste’s times and crimes!_
> 
> _Missing wife found comatose in mansion basement!_
> 
> _British fans go wild as teen model son moves to London._
> 
> _Nathalie Sancoeur: Assistant, accomplice or secret lover?_
> 
> _Exclusive interview with the family bodyguard._

* * *

Marinette slammed the magazine on the library desk.

“I can’t believe they’re allowed to print this crap!”

Alya peered at her over the top of today’s edition of Le Monde.

“Technically, none of this is a lie,” she sighed as she folded it, “they have to report the news.”

“Still, it’s so disrespectful…” Marinette picked up another magazine, this one with Adrien on the cover.

Rose said what they were all thinking. “Poor Adrien!”

“It’s hard to believe Adrien’s father was behind it all.” Alya scrolled through her Ladyblog villain files. “All the times the city was destroyed — it was Adrien’s father. Every time one of us was akumatized — Gabriel was responsible. All the times Adrien was in danger — his own dad did it.”

“That old dirty bastard never fooled me,” Nino argued. “I hated his guts from the start.”

This started a heated discussion on who hated Gabriel the most, and Marinette had to knock with a makeshift gavel to silence the room.

“Anyway, I called this class meeting to organize Adrien’s farewell picnic…”

######  _**Lunchtime** _

“Are you feeling alright, Marinette? Your face turned white when you saw that post.”

“It’s okay, Tikki,” she lied. “I missed my friend, that’s all.”

“You had me worried. You didn’t move for twenty minutes.”

“I… just… wasn’t expecting it! Sure, he turned eighteen two weeks ago, but to move back so soon?”

Marinette got up and prepared to face the rest of her Saturday. After lunch she worked for a bit, before getting ready for the concert. Would Adrien be there? She looked at the comments in his post. Amidst the keysmashes and happy smileys, Luka’s comment stood out.

> [luka_guitar ✅] Good to have you back man! Come to our gig tonight! We’ll jam for old times’ sake! 🎶 Le Gong Doré, Pigalle, 21:30 🎶

There was no reply from Adrien, but then again, even in his private account, there were over fifty comments. She also added a commonplace welcome, ending with a heart emoji.

Smiling to herself, Marinette remembered how even that would have made her nervous when she was fourteen. She was no longer a discombobulated mess in Adrien’s presence, the pressure of her crush lifted when they started dating other people. After overcoming her awkwardness, Marinette and Adrien became best friends and confidants over the years.

She hoped she would be able to catch up with him tonight. At least she would have the whole evening available, since it was Pégase’s patrol day.

Mercifully, her job as Ladybug was now easier. With Hawkmoth gone, she only patrolled once or twice a week, alternating with her now full-time teammates Rena Rouge, Carapace, Pégase, Viperion and Monkey King.

Missing from the patrol schedule were Ryuuko and Chat Noir, for good reasons.

######  _**One year ago** _

“Sorry, Ladybug. I wish I could help, but my family is moving back to Japan,” Kagami sighed, kissing Longg goodbye.

Ladybug took the Dragon Miraculous and hugged her. She expected this — the Tsurugi Company ended its dealings with the Agreste Group to avoid the scandal.

Kagami and Marinette met for their last orange juice and promised to keep in touch on social media.

######  _**Eleven months ago** _

One night, after the end of the Hawkmoth trial, Plagg phased through Marinette’s window, holding a box and an envelope.

“Greetings, Guardian,” the kwami saluted, trying to hide a tiny tear. “My kitten sent me here. Hello, Tikki.”

“Oh no! Is he okay? What happened? Wait… is that…” Panicked, Marinette hurried to open the box and read the note, Tikki reading over her shoulder.

> “Milady,
> 
> I need to retire from my superhero duty fur some time. I have urgent purrsonal matters out of town that I need to take care of.
> 
> I am sending Plagg to you with my ring, in case you need another puss to fill my boots. I’m sure you won’t miss me now that Hawkmoth is out of the picture.
> 
> I purromise I’ll return to Paris and to my Bugaboo one day.
> 
> Love, Chat Noir 😻”

“What does this mean? Fill his boots?” She was crying now, looking for any marking on the envelope. “Plagg, fess up! What the hell is going on?”

The kwamis had never seen Marinette so desperate. Tikki tried to comfort her by cuddling her face in a full-body hug.

“[Bubbles] has been going through a rough patch at home for a few years now.” Plagg was visibly struggling to justify Chat Noir’s actions without giving away any details.

“A few _years_? How come he never told me?”

“Secret identities, remember? Believe me, he had no option but to leave. He’s been through so much!” The tiny kitten flew up to look her in the eyes in assurance. “I’m sure he’ll be back… one day.”

“As if he could ever be replaced…” Marinette whispered as she returned Plagg and the ring to the Miracle Box.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [Reyemile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reyemile/pseuds/Reyemile) for beta’ing this chapter into place. Check out his work, it's awesome!


	2. Concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They ran away from the bar, still holding hands, until they slowed down at a safe distance… This was _not_ how Marinette expected her evening to end.

Marinette took a deep breath before going into Le Gong Doré. She was late, as always, but these things never started on time anyway, a theory confirmed by the sound of mic tests and guitars being tuned. The venue was beautiful, an old mansion converted into an upscale pub, wood-panelled salons decorated with chandeliers and velvet sofas. It was a stark contrast to the casual young clientele which was starting to fill the main hall.

It wasn’t long before she met the rest of her friends. To her relief, Kim, Alix and Mylène were solo tonight, so she wouldn’t be feeling like anyone’s third wheel. There was a little time to catch up with them before the music started.

Kitty Section played a mix of their old songs and new ones from their debut album.

“This one is dedicated to a very special girl,” Luka said at one point. Marinette’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the opening chords. It was a song he had written when they were still together. “I love you, Lucie.”

She couldn’t help feeling a little betrayed. That was _her_ song. Marinette remembered the first time he’d played it for her, back in his room after a romantic date night. How she felt giddy and honoured to know she inspired him. How they kissed and cuddled after. Now he was dedicating it to another girl?

“I’m going to get a drink,” she whisper-shouted to Mylène, who nodded back at her knowingly.

* * *

Adrien was looking forward to the concert. Nino couldn’t make it, but most of their old class was there. He was overwhelmed by their sincere, loving welcome — each hug, high five or pat on the back a reminder of all he had missed.

Then he saw her. Marinette, sitting alone, her dreamy expression suggesting she was lost in thought. His heart skipped a beat, to his own surprise.

Marinette had never looked more beautiful. She had grown a little over the last year or so. Her hair was pulled up in a bun, showing off her elegant neck and shoulders. The black strapless jumpsuit fit snugly in all the right places, then flowed flatteringly down her legs.

When she called his name, Adrien was barely able to compose himself, even as his mind flashed back to what he’d learned only a few months before.

That was back when Nino drunk-facetimed him after a fight with Alya. Their simultaneous whining led to Adrien cursing Kagami’s new boyfriend and his pathetic social skills.

“Speaking of dating, remember how I tried to set you up with Marinette at the Zoo?”

“Of course!” Nino slurred. “That was the day I kissed Alya for the first time, when Ladybug locked us in a cage.”

“Here’s to my misdirected matchmaking skills!” Another shot.

“It wouldn’t have worked anyway, dude, seeing that the girl in question was in love with _you_.” Immediately realizing his mistake, Nino clapped his hand on his mouth.

“ _WHAT?_ ”

* * *

The music was mercifully only a background sound at the bar, on the other side of the venue. Marinette got her cocktail and sat on a red velvet loveseat, slowly savouring her drink. It was silly to feel this way, she didn’t even love Luka any more, right? Even when they were together, her feelings for him were… mellow. Tame. As opposed to the all-consuming passion she had felt for—

“Adrien!” She breathed as she saw him walking over to the bar. He looked a little taller and wore shorter hair now, but it was definitely him. She cleared her throat, feeling her face warming up a little, and called again. He looked around before catching her eye. But when he did, his face opened up in a sweet smile and he rushed to where she was seated.

“Marinette! There you are… Nino said you’d be here.” They greeted each other with cheek kisses and a hug.

“My gosh, Adrien, how have you been?”

“You know… dealing.” He sat beside her and fiddled with the silver ring on his right hand. “Better, now that I’m back.”

“Was it so bad there? I would have thought you were the toast of London high society,” she teased, knowing very well how Adrien hated posh events and red carpets, which he had only endured under his father’s orders.

“They kicked me out of the jet-set. I was getting too popular,” he joked back. “Why aren’t you inside, doing the groupie thing for your boyfriend?”

“Ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh. Let me get something to drink and we’ll catch up.”

He got drinks for both and joined her, sitting sideways on the couch to face her.

“So, do I need to find Luka and teach him a lesson?”

“Please don’t,” she snorted. “It wasn’t his fault. If anything, I’m to blame. I couldn’t open myself up to him as much as he wanted. And the groupie thing got old after a while.”

“I can’t imagine it being your fault, but I’ll take your word for it.”

“So… Kagami’s gone back to Japan. Have you guys… kept in touch?”

“We did for a while. The long-distance thing didn’t work for us though. I believe she’s dating an Olympian fencer now.”

“Oh. I saw something on Instagram. Are you okay with that? Do I need to fly to Japan and punch her?”

“Please don’t. What if you find yourself a fencer and leave me, too?”

As they caught up and laughed together, the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind all day popped back up.

“So, what brought you back so soon?”

“Well, I missed everyone. And I missed Paris,” he sighed, looking down at his drink. “And there’s some unfinished business to wrap up with the Agreste Group.”

“I thought the company sunk after… well. After.” She hesitated to expand on the subject, afraid it would still be a sore spot.

“The Gabriel brand is dead, that’s for sure,” Adrien chuckled bitterly, before switching to an impression of Audrey Bourgeois. “The terrorist chic look is _so_ last year _dahling_!”

Marinette wasn’t amused, but nodded for him to go on.

“There are other companies in the group. Factories and import offices, mostly. Plus a lot of boutique real estate we need to deal with.” His mood seemed to improve as he continued. “I’m hoping to hold onto some of the smaller firms. Change the name of the holding and work as subcontractors for other houses. It’s not the workers’ fault their boss turned out to be an _asshole_. Eventually create a new label from scratch, without all the baggage, you know.”

“But I thought you didn’t like the fashion stuff!”

“Well, what I _didn’t_ like was modeling against my will. Backstage work can be interesting. Creative things like photography, marketing, advertising… I could see myself doing that one day.”

“You would be so good at it! I can totally see it!” Marinette remembered their group projects in collège and lycée. He had an excellent taste for visuals and a knack for writing great titles and headlines.

“You think so?” He seemed to bounce a little in his seat. “I applied for ESMOD, you know. Not the fashion design course, the commercial and communication strategy program. Nino told me you got accepted, too! We’ll be at the same school!”

“Oh. About that.” Taking another sip of her cocktail, she shrugged. “Even though I got in, I didn’t get selected for any kind of scholarship. I’m taking a gap year to work on my portfolio.”

As Adrien praised her talent and shared his optimism for the future, Marinette couldn’t help noticing how happy he looked, considering what he’d gone through.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I am so glad you are doing okay… you know, after all that happened.”

“My aunt got me therapy. _A lot_ of it. And it was life-saving.” Marinette was shocked by this admission and rubbed his arm in an attempt to soothe him.

“I’m okay now, don’t worry. My father was absent most of my life, and I had already mourned my mother when she ‘went missing’. I didn’t have much to lose in the first place. To be honest, the hardest part was leaving our school, our friends, and other people who were in my life.” He squeezed her in a side-hug to stress his point.

“It’s great to have you back.” Marinette’s cheeks were hotter as she hugged back. “You know we’re here for you.”

“Is it me or is it hot in here?” Adrien loosened his shirt collar, his own face turning red.

There was a bit of a commotion and the music stopped. Marinette could smell smoke, which was strange as this was a non-smoking venue. A scream made her jump up from her seat.

_**“FIRE!”** _

Instinctively, Marinette took his hand and began to run. She made a checklist of what she needed to do. Remove herself and Adrien from danger, transform, help evacuate the building.

There was a fire exit nearby, but it was blocked by some crates. The two friends moved in tandem to drag them out of the way and run out into a back alley.

They ran away from the bar until they slowed down at a safe distance. The acrid smell of burnt wood hung in the air, making their eyes water as they stumbled along the deserted sidewalk. This was _not_ how Marinette expected her evening to end.

“I’m in heels, I need a minute,” she groaned, feigning a limp. She needed to transform but had to ditch Adrien first. “You should go around to the front, see if any of our friends need help. I’ll meet you there in a while.”

He reluctantly complied, squeezing her hand a little before running around the corner.

“Meet me later!”

“I’ll call you!”

She ostensibly leaned against a wall and massaged a foot, transforming as soon as Adrien was out of sight.

Ladybug had no time to waste as she flew into the old building, helped people find the exits and cleared any blocked doors. Pégase was already there when she arrived, and together they swiftly evacuated the pub, then stepped aside to let the firefighters do their job.

“I guess we’ll be stuck here for a while,” Pégase said. “I’ll stay if you want to go home.”

“I’m staying. I have a weird feeling about this fire. I want to make sure to speak to Captain Hessenpy.”

Using her yoyo’s fake caller ID, Ladybug typed a quick text to Adrien, saying the police didn’t let anyone near the building and she’d taken an Uber home. She sighed as she pressed ‘send’, hoping to see him again soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, many thanks to [Reyemile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reyemile/pseuds/Reyemile) for his help in beta reading this chapter. Do check out his work, it's awesome!
> 
> [My Tumblr.](https://maggies-scribblings.tumblr.com)


	3. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien had hoped for a low profile return to Paris. Tough luck.

Adrien had hoped for a low profile return to Paris. Tough luck. Reporters, as well as a few rubberneckers, were already swarming the scene of the fire.

The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end, a chill running down his spine. Among the crowd, he spotted a man he faintly recognized glaring at him as though he wished him dead. As soon as their eyes met, the man seemed to sneer and turned away. Adrien tried to follow but lost him in the crowd. Who could he be and why would someone be so angry with him?

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

> [Marinette]: Street’s off-limits. Taking uber home. ttyl 😘
> 
> [Adrien]: Going home too. Our friends are all OK. 😘

Adrien walked away from the commotion, trying to find a ride to the Grand Paris from a quieter location. No rides were available, as a few blocks were still cordoned off, so he decided to walk home. He turned up his jacket collar and put on his hat and sunglasses — a regular addition to his look these days, for the sake of preserving himself from paparazzi.

His temporary home was a few blocks away, and the streets were calm but not deserted. The Autumn air was cool, which was a welcome change from the hot and smoky atmosphere in the bar. He really missed this place. London was great, but this was _home_. With all the good and bad that it entailed.

It was the first time in his life he had the freedom to go about as he pleased. Even though his life in London was not as confined as it had been with his father, he still had a curfew and an obligation to let aunt Amélie know where he was at all times.

Adrien reflected on his plans for the future. First, get the Agreste Group in order. He had received information that there were suspicions of embezzlement, as some accounts did not check out. Right now he didn’t know who in the company could be trusted.

Then, get a more permanent living situation. Going back to the mansion was out of the question. It was to be auctioned off, together with all the Gabriel Boutiques.

Finally, continue his education and resume some semblance of a normal life.

Since it had been proven that Gabriel’s fortune did not proceed from his crimes, the state did not confiscate any assets, rather forced him to transfer ownership to Adrien. Together with his mother’s inheritance, his financial situation would be more than comfortable.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he started to feel like he was being followed. Adrien was now out of the busy Montmartre district, the streets mostly deserted. He picked up the pace and headed towards the nearest Metro station, only to find it closed for the night.

Adrien took a sharp right down an empty stone stairway to verify if his feeling was correct, and sure enough, before he could reach the street at the bottom, there was a figure at the top of the stairs, hurrying down.

Hands buried in his pockets, he nervously started twirling the silver ring he’d bought to replace his miraculous. Lack of magic properties notwithstanding, the familiar weight and feel of the ring comforted him in the absence of the one he’d given up.

“Shit shit shit shit shit!!” He mumbled. He had never felt unsafe in the streets of Paris before; he’d always relied on his bodyguard and then on Plagg to protect him.

He turned another corner and started to run to try and lose his pursuer. There were no taxis around, no bus stops, and he didn’t want to stop long enough to use an app for a ride.

Suddenly all the oxygen got sucked out of his lungs as something pulled him up at a breakneck speed. The feeling was foreign and familiar at the same time. He’d been pulled up like this countless times before.

He landed safely on a rooftop, and was almost afraid to look up, in case he had been mistaken.

“Well, young man, now that I have your attention, _do_ tell me why you were running like that at three in the morning!” 

Ladybug kept her yo-yo string tightened around his arms, and removed his sunglasses and hat.

“H-Hello, Ladybug!” He smiled awkwardly.

“Adrien? I didn’t recognize you.” She released him from the string with a somewhat embarrassed smirk. “Weird time for a jog, no? Weird equipment, too, for that matter.”

“Haha,” he grumbled, heart beating a lot faster than the short run called for. Thoroughly flustered, he decided to admit the reason for the hurry.

“I… thought I was being followed. Actually, I’m _positive_ I was. Were you at that fire back there?”

“Yes, I helped the firemen with the evacuation. Were _you_ there?”

“I was, and I noticed a shady man in the crowd, just… looking at me funny. I may be wrong, but I think it was the same guy following me.”

“Maybe it was a coincidence. It’s late, it was smokey back there.” Adrien was a bit frustrated by her dismissal, until she squeezed his shoulder soothingly. “But I will talk to Lieutenant Raincomprix about it. Did you get a good look at this man? Would you be able to describe him if necessary?”

“I did, and I would. Anything to help you, M— Ladybug.”

He could hardly handle standing this close and not touch her. He’d missed her _so much_. Then she grabbed his waist, and he thought he was going to die.

“So, where were you heading? I’ll give you a lift.”

Adrien whimpered, “Le Grand Paris,” and they were off.

The feeling of the wind flowing through his hair and the rush of soaring above the streets of his beloved hometown were wonderful. How he’d missed this — the city, the lights, flying, _her_.

They landed on the hotel terrace, too soon for his liking. He felt cold as Ladybug released her grip on him, and wished he could hold on to her just a little longer.

“Thanks for the lift, Ladybug.”

“All in a day’s work, isn’t that what they say?”

She was already preparing to leave when he stopped her.

“Wait. I… forgot to tell you. In case you need it. For the Police, I mean. I don’t go by Adrien Agreste any more. I changed it a couple of weeks ago when I turned eighteen.”

“Oh. What’s your name now?”

“Adrien Athanase. Nice to meet you.” He thoughtlessly started to bow in a very Chat Noir manner, but corrected himself and bolted upright, which resulted in a very strange curtsey which made Ladybug giggle.

“That’s an unusual choice. Is it one of your given names?”

“Yes, it’s my fifth name. After my mom’s father. I didn’t want to use _his_ name.”

“Which is perfectly understandable.” Ladybug put both hands on his shoulders and gave him an earnest look. “We never had the chance to talk about everything. If you need anything at all, message me on the Ladyblog. I have a secret nickname, I only give it to people I trust. Can I borrow your phone?”

He complied, moving mechanically since his brain was barely cooperating. She took the phone and quickly navigated to his browser.

“Oh, you have the Ladyblog as your homepage? That’s handy.” She scrolled to the forum option and quickly located her username, then sent a friend request to herself. “Here you go. Don’t tell Alya. She doesn’t know that’s me.”

Returning his phone, Ladybug winked at him and took off, leaving him speechless. He peered at the screen to see the message:

> _Friend request has been sent to_ 🐞 _Joaninha_19_ 🐞.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joaninha = ladybug in Portuguese.


	4. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette reminisces on the past, while Adrien plans his future. Everything is thrown off balance when one of the kwamis has a shocking revelation.

######  _**Two Weeks Later** _

Marinette finished writing tonight’s entry in her journal. An old habit she kept since she was ten — even on her busiest days, she made sure to get a few words in.

The notebook was always kept in its magic box, together with her most cherished keepsakes. Lately, the most precious of all were the roses that Chat Noir had given her all those years ago, carefully preserved. She kissed her own fingers and lightly touched each one of them: Ladybug’s red one, from the night she realized her partner _actually_ loved her and gently refused him; and Marinette’s pink one from when she pretended to be in love with Chat Noir and he refused _her_.

It wasn’t that much of a stretch to say she loved him, if she was being honest with herself.

She _did_ love him, as her best friend and partner, the only other person in the world who understood their challenges as full-time superheroes.

And she had to admit to feeling a tiny pang of jealousy when Chat Noir announced he was seeing someone. She felt silly about it, possessive even, but her heart _did_ ache a little.

And when he went away it was as if a part of herself was gone. She missed him every day.

_“Where are you, Kitty?”_

* * *

_BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEP. BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEP. BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEP._

“Plagg, stop it! I’ll give you some camembert, just let me sleep a little longer!”

_BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEP. BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEP._

It took a few hits on snooze for Adrien to wake up completely. He was dreaming about Plagg and Chat Noir. Again.

Adrien whisked through his morning routine, then hurried to the hotel restaurant for breakfast with Chloé, as was his habit since he’d returned.

“Took you long enough!” Chloé whined from behind the latest issue of Paris Match.

He sat down, poured a large cup of coffee and selected a croissant from the bread basket.

“Good morning to you too. It’s good to get such a warm greeting from my oldest friend.”

“Good morning, oldest friend,” she quipped with the fakest of smiles, only to switch back to her usual affectation. “Looks like you’ve been spotted.”

She handed him the magazine, folded on the page with his photo:

> **Agreste heir back in Paris after Hawkmoth scandal**

“Son of a—” Adrien mumbled through a mouthful of croissant, thwacking the weekly on the table. “I thought I was being so discreet!”

Chloé nimbly saved the flowery centrepiece from tumbling and placed it on another table.

“Well, maybe you should use my limo _as I’ve been telling you_ instead of walking around like a peasant.”

“I think I’ll take up your offer today. Is it available?” Not even waiting for the reply, he gulped down the rest of his breakfast and stood up.

“I _was_ going shopping, but I guess I can drop you off. Office again?”

“Yup. Lots of loose ends there. Still deciding where to go from here.”

“ _Bo-ring!_ You ready?”

“I am, sweet friend. I sure missed our charming tête-à-têtes.”

“Shut up and move your booty, or I’ll throw you to the sharks camping out front.”

Adrien took a peek from behind the window curtain and, for certain, there were about a dozen paparazzi surrounding the hotel entrance.

“Crap. Let’s go, then.”

* * *

Another day of tedious business meetings awaited. In the weeks since he’d been back, most of his days were spent at the Agreste Group headquarters, always accompanied by a trusted lawyer his aunt had recommended.

This morning was his first board meeting as interim CEO. His lawyer, sitting by his side at the head of the table, took over.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Maître Barthélemy Poussin and I was charged by Adrien to lead today’s meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to decide the future of the Agreste Holding…”

At the end of the meeting there was definitely a negative energy in the room. There would be a lot of changes, and not all bode well for the managers.

Gabriel’s former right-hand man and CFO, Germain Villepin, lingered in the room as everyone else left.

“M. Agreste, I believe we need to talk in private.”

Adrien was expecting this. He put on his best model smile and gestured for them to sit down.

“It’s M. Athanase now. But please, M. Villepin, call me Adrien — after all, you’ve known me since I was a child.”

The older man seemed taken aback.

“You changed your name? Officially?”

“Indeed. The Agreste name would be a burden on the company and myself. Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“I was hoping we could speak alone,” he said, side-eyeing the lawyer.

“Oh, no. Maître Poussin stays. He has my full confidence and power of attorney.”

“Very well. I will be very frank. Everyone, markets included, expected me to be officially promoted to CEO. I am the most experienced board member, I’ve been in the company for over twenty years, and your father trusted me completely. Actually, in the last six or seven years, I was in charge of _all_ the business decisions. Your father only supervised the design and creative departments. Now that the stock value has finally stabilized is a _very_ bad time for reckless strategic decisions.”

Maître Poussin nodded in acknowledgement.

“Thank you so much for your input, and for your service over the years. That is precisely the reason we thought you would be eager to retire. M. Athanase would be happy to buy your share of the stock and negotiate a handsome retiring package.”

“Well… Yes… but who will run the company then? Nobody knows it better than me.”

“That’s exactly the point, M. Villepin. If we want to turn this company around, we must cut all ties with the Agreste legacy.”

“Very well, then,” he hesitantly agreed. “Make me an offer and I will consider it.”

The man looked nervous, anxious even, when taking his leave.

“I believe your suspicions may be correct, Adrien”, the lawyer said when they were alone.

The auditing team had found some issues with off-shore bank accounts and missing inventory, which would need to be thoroughly investigated, and now they knew just where to start.

“We’ll need to keep an eye on that one.”

* * *

Marinette was absent-mindedly sketching a floral pattern for a dress when Tikki startled her by flying in front of her.

“Marinette, Plagg needs to speak to you. It’s urgent.”

“What’s the matter, Tikki? Is he ill? Does he need more cheese? I thought you didn’t need food in the miracle box.” In three years of Guardian duties, her kwami had become a sort of minuscule personal assistant.

“He didn’t say. He wanted to speak to you himself. Can you summon him?”

Marinette quickly got the box, opened Plagg’s compartment and picked up the ring to wake him.

“Guardian…” he bowed, “happy to see you.”

“Nice to see you too, Plagg. Why did you need to see me? Is everything alright?”

“I am very weak.” He pressed a paw to his forehead as if to emphasize his point. “I feel faint.”

Marinette held Plagg in her hands, visibly concerned, while Tikki looked on sceptically.

“I need camembert… * _cough*…_ Please… * _cough*…_ ”

“I can’t believe you fooled me into letting you out!” Tikki admonished. “It was all a ruse to extort some cheese!”

“I have important news, I swear, Sugarcube! But I need some solid courage to help me through them.”

More entertained than annoyed by the tiny gods’ antics, Marinette went down to the kitchen to get some cheese and cookies to appease Tikki. She could faintly hear the argument just above. Thankfully her parents were asleep.

“So, what did you need to tell me?” she asked after Plagg swallowed the cheese.

“Well, remember you gave us your old phone to play games in the Miracle Box?” she nodded for him to continue. “So, I found out we have internet reception in there. And I got a message from [bubbles]— sorry, from my Chat Noir.”

“WHAT?” Tikki and Marinette cried at the same time.

“Calm down. It was all very safe and coded. Real spy sort of stuff. Can I borrow your phone, Spots?”

Plagg took the phone and swiped to find the Reddit app. After a few quick taps, he turned the screen towards the others.

“This. This is how we contacted each other.”

> r/Cheese • Posted by u/fransksvartkatt • 2 days ago
> 
> Brie de Melun (🇫🇷 France)
> 
> Finally tasted the best Brie de Melun, in a tiny cheese shop in the 8th arrondissement. It’s a welcome change after all the Stinking Bishop.

“I don’t get it,” Marinette said, puzzled.

“It means he’s in Paris. And I know just where to find him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sort of forgot the love square in this chapter. I guess you could say it's kind-of-Marichat?
> 
> fransksvartkatt = French black cat in Swedish.


	5. Your Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Chat Noir really be back? And is he here to stay? Will Ladybug give him back the Miraculous? And what new threat lurks in Paris?

“I’m not so sure about this, Plagg.” Marinette paced her room, still reeling from the little cat’s announcement. “What if it’s someone impersonating him?”

“Impossible. The code matches. We created our usernames together before he left. We’ve sort of kept in touch on this subreddit.”

Plagg showed her some more coded interactions, simple things like _“Stilton is better than I expected”_ from u/fransksvartkatt or _“My local cheesemaker now has more goatmilk providers and the quality is as good as it ever was”_ from u/juustojumala.

“See, this is code for _‘everything is okay here in London’_ , and I replied _‘Ladybug has more help and Paris is safe.’_ ”

“Very clever. Why didn’t Chat Noir suggest something like this for us?”

“What would you have said then, Ladybug?” Plagg asked, in a meaningful tone.

He had a point. Even after Hawkmoth’s defeat, she had been reticent to reveal their identities. They never got the chance even if they wanted to: they were under the spotlight more than ever during the trial and everything that followed, then Chat Noir left.

“Okay, so what is the plan now? I can’t let you fly around Paris with his ring until I am 100% certain it _is_ him. Or that he wants the ring back, for that matter.”

“I have an idea,” Tikki chimed in. “You can get two of those pay-as-you-go SIM cards, then we send Plagg over with that old phone of yours.”

“That’s… actually a good idea! Come on, Tikki, let’s go shopping.”

Marinette ran to the closest mobile phone store and got two SIM cards and one cheap used phone.

“This way I can be contactable on both my numbers. And keep my old phone for you guys. It was a good thing that you had access to it.”

* * *

That night, she set up the phones and tested them, adding the numbers to the respective contacts list. Then she gave Plagg the phone she bought and sent him on his way, with Wayzz escorting him in case something happened and they needed her.

She transformed and flew to what she hoped would be a safe meeting point. Anxious as she was for the phone to ring, the shrill sound startled her when it did.

“Ladybug?”

“Kitty? Is it really you?”

“In the fur, Milady! I missed hearing your voice. Did you miss me?”

“Of course I did. What kind of question is that? But I need to be sure it’s really you.”

“It _is_ me, I swear. Ask me anything.”

“Sing that song.”

“Which song?”

“If I told you it wouldn’t be much of a test, would it?”

“Oh, I know.” Marinette could hear a soft sigh, his voice lowering a little. “This one? _Little kitty on the roof, all alone without his lady…_ ”

“Oh my gosh, it _is_ you!” Marinette could hardly stop her voice from trembling. “Do you… do you want your ring back?”

“If you’ll let me have it.”

“Of course I will, silly… it’s yours! Come and meet me on _that_ roof in thirty minutes.”

“You’re enjoying this guessing game, aren’t you? Which roof?”

“The one you once set up for a romantic dinner. And be discreet!”

“See you soon!”

* * *

Adrien rushed to change into an unassuming black tracksuit and his now trademark sunglasses and baseball hat.

“Come on, Plagg, Wayzz. Let’s go meet her.”

The kwamis silently zipped into his pockets, as Adrien pulled the hood of the jacket on top of the hat for added concealment.

As he opened his room door, he faced a hotel valet who seemed to be about to knock.

“I apologize, M. Athanase. I was just delivering this package which arrived for you.”

“Huh. I wasn’t expecting any delivery…” Adrien set the package down on the console table next to the door. “I’ll check it out later. Thank you.”

He tipped the man generously, locked his door and rushed through the corridors to leave through the service exit.

Dashing down the empty back streets, he could hardly contain his excitement. Meeting Ladybug the other night had been fantastic, but he hadn't been able to express everything he felt.

“Calm down, kid, or you'll give yourself a heart attack. She won’t go away.”

“Won’t she?” His voice was trembling from exertion and nervousness. “I hardly believe she’s willing to see me at all after the way I left.”

“I made sure she knew you had no choice in the matter.” The little god flew up to hide in his hoodie and gently pat his cheek. “You’ll be okay. _We’ll_ be okay.”

* * *

Ladybug was fidgeting nervously when she heard footsteps on the emergency stairs. She stopped, took a deep breath and asked in her firmest voice:

“Who is there?”

“It’s me, Ladybug. The cat who came back.”

“Stop right there. Prove you really are who you say you are before you take another step.”

Chat Noir chortled and stopped as ordered.

“What more proof do you need? I’m here. You didn’t give me any address.”

“Okay, then tell me something only the two of us would know.”

“Hmmm… How about what you told me the first time we met? Or rather, crashed? You introduced yourself as ma—madly clumsy?”

“Ha, but you were the one who wasted a cataclysm on a football.”

“Wrong, Milady, it was the goal post I destroyed.”

“Okay, you passed the test. Come closer.”

Ladybug turned away from the fire escape and heard him approaching at an agonizingly slow pace.

“I am here, Ladybug.” She could feel his breath and a slight quiver in his voice. “Any more tests?”

Closing her eyes, she turned around, crashing into him in a fierce hug.

“Are you really back? For good?” She clung to his clothes as if that could prevent him from ever leaving.

“I’m here,” Chat Noir said as he returned the embrace. “I’m here, and I’ll never leave you again if you’ll take me back— as— as your Chat Noir, I mean.”

It was his voice for sure, the mischievous cadence evident despite the serious moment. Ladybug blindly took his right hand. There was a ring there already, which she promptly removed and replaced with the Cat Miraculous.

“This is yours. As long as I am the Guardian, no one else will ever use it.”

“Thank you. Plagg… claws out.”

Eyes still shut, Ladybug felt the transformation as she was still holding his hand, feeling the texture change from skin to leather. When she finally opened her eyes, _there_ was her Chat Noir. The hair was a little shorter, but as dishevelled as ever. He had grown some centimetres, and his body had bulked up quite a bit while he’d been gone.

She pulled away from him, realizing she had been ogling him for some time.

“Enjoying the view? Should I do a little spin?”

“Shut up, silly cat! I’m just observant, that’s all.” She punched his arm playfully, then shook her hand, pretending it hurt. “You’ve been working out… wherever you were.”

“I had to suspend my rooftop CrossFit membership, seeing that I had no powers… but I found other ways to work out. I had to keep up with you, after all.”

“You were pretty sure I’d give you your ring back, weren’t you?”

His voice lost a bit of its typical mirth as he answered.

“No, I wasn’t. Hopeful, yes. Confident? Not so much. I actually expected a lecture and a permanent ban from the team.”

“Well, Master Fu and Plagg chose you for a reason. Who am I to go against their judgement?”

“Erm… _The Guardian?!_ … You could have replaced me with any young bobcat out there…” He hugged her again, almost taking her breath away. “Still, I am happy you didn’t.”

“And I’m happy to have you back.”

They sat on the roof for a few hours, catching up as much as they could without risking their identities. Their banter was as easy and humorous as ever, just as though he’d never left.

Ladybug’s heart was complete for the first time in months. It was hard to say goodbye that night, but she knew deep down he’d never leave again.

* * *

Adrien vaulted most of the way back home, relishing the feeling of the evening breeze in his hair and whooping in pure joy, then detransformed a couple of blocks away from the hotel.

There was a commotion as he approached. Fire engines and police cars were cordoning off the block, and all the guests were assembled on the sidewalk across from the main entrance. He spotted Chloé, crying on her father’s shoulder, and ran to her.

“What happened?”

“Adrien!! Thank goodness you’re okay!” She hugged him in despair. “It was horrible. There was an explosion in your room!”

* * *

Adrien ended up spending the rest of the night in the police station. He was able to get a few minutes of sleep on a couch, before Lieutenant Raincomprix guided him to an interrogation room.

“Thank you, M. Athanase. I am sorry to have kept you here, but at this point, we believe there is a very serious threat to your well-being.”

“I understand. I have already called my lawyer, he should be here any minute.”

Right on queue, there was a knock on the door and an officer led Maître Poussin into the room.

“Good morning, Adrien… Lieutenant. I am glad to see you are okay.”

“Apparently whatever happened, it was while I was out… erm… for a jog.”

“So, Lieutenant. What do we know so far?”

“Fire Captain Hessenpy is still investigating, but so far it seems that the source of the explosion was close to the door to the room. The bomb itself seems to have been designed to be noisy rather than damaging.”

“The box!” he realized, turning to his lawyer. “I received a package just before leaving last night. I was in a bit of a hurry… for my run… so I just put it down on the console.”

“A package, huh? What did it look like?”

Adrien described the box and the way the valet had delivered it. He couldn’t remember any particular markings, only that it was wrapped in generic paper and had computer-printed labels. He did notice it was addressed to Adrien Athanase.

“Not a lot of people know my new name. It could be a clue.”

“Thank you, that _is_ very helpful.” Lieutenant Raincomprix closed his notebook and turned to Adrien. “I will need a list of all the people who know your new name. Now, this is the second incident you were involved in since your return to Paris. Ladybug reported you were at the scene of the fire at Le Gong Doré. Do you confirm that?”

“Yes, I was there. I escaped with a friend and hung around to make sure all our friends made it out.”

“Very well. Ladybug also reported you were followed that night. Are you available later in the morning to describe him to our sketch artist?”

“Anything to help, sir. As I told Ladybug, that man was also present at the scene of the fire, and he was observing me.”

“Seems like we have a plan, Adrien. It is fortunate that you came out unscathed both times. In the meantime, I must ask you to stay in Paris and report weekly at this station.”

“Excuse me, Lieutenant, do you mean to tell me my client is a suspect?”

“Not at all, Maître! He may be the intended victim—”

There was a knock on the door. The same officer from before gestured for the Lieutenant to step out. After a few minutes, he came back in with a charred piece of paper inside an evidence bag.

“Captain Hessenpy just dropped this.” He put the bag on the table, turned towards Adrien and the lawyer. In newspaper clippings, like in the ransom notes from the movies, there was a clear threat.

>   
>  **Stop messing with things you don’t understand, little model boy. Leave Paris or the next one will get you.**

Adrien leaned back on his chair, shocked. The fire was meant for him, as was the bomb. Who could want to harm him?

His father was in jail, and even though his parenting had been negligent at best, abusive at worst, he had attempted to reach out to Adrien, and even sent a few letters with his motivations for his crimes. _“It was all for you, your mother and our family. Forgive me, son.”_ Kindhearted as Adrien was, he could not forget the nightmare his home life had been, or everything Hawkmoth had done, much less forgive. At least in the near future. No, this did not sound like his father. His modus operandi was more manipulative, more subtle, akumas excluded.

He scratched out Nathalie, too. She had been convicted for her part in Hawkmoth's crimes, but her sentence was commuted to house arrest due to her health issues and her cooperation during the investigation: she was the one who guided the police to the secret lair and to Émilie's pod. In any case, Adrien didn't think she could harm him — at least, not intentionally. 

Maybe an Akuma victim looking for revenge? An overexcited paparazzo?

No, this was something else. This was someone _desperate_ to get rid of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: juustojumala = cheese-loving god in Finnish (per Google Translate).


	6. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of the previous night, and the new threat to his life, Adrien finds some solace. Marinette is confused and in need of reassurance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrienette and finally some Marichat.

It was lunchtime when Adrien left the station. His lawyer insisted on getting him a bodyguard and put him up at his place, but Adrien adamantly declined.

“I will keep a low profile, don’t worry. No more concerts or night jogs. And I will call the police if I receive any other package.”

“I think it may be better to avoid the office for now, too. There have been some paparazzi at the door, trying to get your photo.”

“You’re right. You have my full confidence to continue with the restructuring.”

Maître Poussin walked towards his car. “Need a lift somewhere?”

“No, I’ll make some calls to find a place to stay.”

Adrien felt his stomach growl. He hadn’t eaten since last night, except for a vending machine sandwich shared with Plagg.

“Let’s get some lunch, Plagg!”

He walked somewhat aimlessly for a little while. This was his old stomping ground — the mansion was a few blocks away, as was his collège and the Tom & Sabine bakery.

“How about we stop at the bakery? I bet you miss the _gougères au gruyère_ Marinette brought to school sometimes, huh Plagg?”

“Yeah, I missed them.” He sounded amused, as opposed to his usual hungry grumpiness. “It’s been _years_ since I’ve had any treats from the bakery girl!” Adrien thought he heard a muffled giggle, but ignored it as he entered the bakery.

Marinette was busy at the counter and didn’t notice him. She was smiling and describing the different pastries on offer as she filled a box for a customer. Even in such a mundane task, her enthusiasm was irresistible. Pastries wrapped and paid for, the client left and Adrien approached the counter, removing his sunglasses and hat.

“Adrien, hello!” Marinette’s smile lit up even brighter when she saw him. “What can I get you today?”

“Hi, Marinette! I can’t decide! What do you recommend?”

“For lunch?” Adrien nodded. “Then, the Quiche Lorraine is still warm. Oh, we also have cheese and salmon quiche, I remember you liked that.”

“Oooh, that salmon one sounds great. Do you have any _gougères_? I like those, too. I’ll take half a dozen. Oh, and an éclair for dessert.”

“Careful now, son, you don’t want to gain weight.” Tom boomed, coming in from the back room, wiping his hands on his apron. “I thought it was you!”

Sabine followed him, and both hugged him effusively. It warmed his heart to receive such a kind welcome.

“Why don’t you take your lunch break now?” Sabine said, turning to Marinette. “You two can eat upstairs where it’s quiet and more comfortable! There’s some soup in the fridge if you want.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose…” Adrien said, opening his wallet.

“It’s on the house. I insist,” Tom said. Adrien pocketed the wallet — he wouldn’t dare oppose the offer, the Weredad situation still vivid in his memory.

Marinette put his order on a tray, took some pastries for herself and gestured towards the stairs.

“After you. Open the door please.”

“You sure you don’t need any help? I remember you and trays don’t often see eye to eye.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny. I’ll have you know I am a pro now.” She climbed the stairs balancing the tray in one hand as if to prove it. “I have trained extensively and haven’t dropped a tray in over a month!”

“Okay, okay, sorry!” He chuckled, opening the door to the apartment for her.

Adrien noticed how different her behaviour was. There used to be some awkwardness on her part, which was gone. Once he had even thought she still held some kind of grudge against him — maybe it was his friendship with Chloé, or maybe she just had a prejudice against rich people.

Of course, now he knew — due to Nino’s slip up and later interrogations — that Marinette had had a huge crush on him during their first year of collège. She only gave up on him after he started going out with Kagami. And Luka was there to pick up the pieces.

“Bathroom is over there if you need it.” She pointed at a door.

Washing his hands and face, looking at his own reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been, had things gone differently. Had he known Marinette loved him.

Chat Noir’s attachment to Ladybug had changed around that time. His love for her was deeper than anything else he’d felt for anyone. And yet, after so many refusals, so many arguments on how a romantic involvement might ruin their partnership and, even worse, endanger them both, he was forced to put his emotions on a backburner, even if the flame would never extinguish.

Adrien remembered that day with her and Kagami, when they dodged the Bourgeois party. The three of them had so much fun, but then Marinette stepped aside, just as he was feeling closer to her than ever before. Now he realized she’d put his and Kagami’s happiness above her own, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He wished he could have known. Then again, Kagami would have ended up hurting instead, had he chosen differently.

He could not regret the time he had spent with Kagami. She’d taught him a different kind of love. They were so similar, he considered her his soulmate for a while. She had helped him to be more decisive and assertive, and he had helped her loosen up a little and venture out of her mother’s shadow. He’d felt comfortable with her, maybe too much so. Their love was sweet and mellow, but something was lacking. Maybe it was what they called passion.

“Will you have some soup?” Adrien snapped out of his thoughts and went back to the kitchen.

And yet… Here was Marinette, carefully arranging the food as he helped set the table for lunch, and it felt like… home.

It was too late now. If her past and present behaviour were any indication, she didn’t feel anything but friendship for him, now. He felt comfort in the knowledge that their friendship survived all of that drama, despite the pang of regret for what never was, and never could be again.

“So, I saw the news about the bomb at the hotel… you were staying there, weren’t you?”

“Hmm—” he swallowed a teaspoon of soup that was way too hot. “I _was_. I have to find other accommodations. I’m going to ask Nino to put me up for a while.”

“What was that all about? Did they find anything?”

“I’m not sure I can talk about it much. But the bomb seemed to be meant for me. As a warning.”

Adrien was hesitant to burden his friend with this kind of revelation, but she made him feel so at ease that, before he knew it, he was confiding in her. He told her about the fire at the concert, the man who had followed him and the note they’d found in his room.

“Oh my gosh! Adrien, how can you be so calm about this? You can’t just walk around town until they catch him! I’m going to ask my parents to let you stay here. We have a spare bedroom downstairs at the bakery.”

“But—”

“No buts! I could never leave a friend hanging like this. Not when I can help.” She got up and shouted down the stairs. “ _Maman!_ Can you come up here please?”

* * *

Sabine and Tom were more than happy to have Adrien stay with them.

The bakery was an old building, with a spare room (originally meant for an apprentice baker) downstairs. It was small, but clean and warm, as it shared a wall with the oven. Sabine showed him around while Tom inflated an air mattress and Marinette got some linen.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. It’s not much, but it’s comfortable. Here is the service bathroom and shower, but you can use the bathtub upstairs if you prefer. Here’s the key to the service door, it’ll be safer for you to go in and out. Just let us know if you stay out late so we don’t worry, okay?”

“I— thank you— I can’t thank you enough.” Adrien swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat.

“We know you’ve been through a lot, son.” Tom slapped his shoulder with surprising gentleness for someone his size. “Any friend of Marinette is family to us.”

Adrien was truly moved and overwhelmed by such demonstrations of selfless generosity, from people much less affluent than him, no less. He couldn’t resist hugging each member of the small family in appreciation.

It was close to sunset now, and Adrien excused himself to go get some clothes and personal effects from the hotel. That would give him an excuse to do some investigations of his own.

* * *

Marinette went up to the balcony for some air. Her face was burning up. She had kept her cool with Adrien all the time, right until he embraced her — there was something in the desperate way he held her that moved her to tears. It was all she could do to hurriedly say goodbye and run up the stairs. Once alone, she sat on her lounger and curled into a ball, letting the tears flow freely.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Worried and sleepy, Tikki flew to her side, and Marinette filled her in on Adrien’s visit and what had been happening.

“It’s just… that boy has suffered so much, Tikki… his father's crimes, then his mother died, then he was plucked away from everything he knew… he deserves a break! And now _bombs_? And _fires_? No, not on _my_ watch…”

Marinette was about to call Tikki to transform her, but the kwami was no longer there when she looked up.

“Good afternoon, Mademoiselle.”

Behind her, perched on the railing, was Chat Noir, his lively smirk lighting up the dusk. Marinette wiped her eyes on her sleeves and coughed to compose her voice.

“Hello, Chat Noir. It’s been a while since you visited me! What brings you to my humble balcony?”

“I thought I heard a damsel in distress.” He bounced down from the railing and sat on the floor close to her. “Can I help?”

“Oh… Did you hear me? I was just talking to myself.”

“I just thought you might need a friendly ear… or four!” He made victory signs with both hands to point at his cat and human ears with a silly smile, sparking a small giggle. “Should be enough for all your problems!”

“It wasn’t for my sake that I was crying. There’s this boy… this good friend. He’s going through a rough period in his life. I was just wondering how I could help him.”

Chat Noir got on his knees and took her hands in his, rubbing them in a comforting motion.

“I’m sure he’s happy to have you in his life. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.”

“You’re just saying that to get free pastries.” She gave him a little fake shove. “We’re doing what we can to help, but I wish I could do more.”

“If you’re doing all you can, nobody can ask for more.” He stood up to leave, then added, “You are a wonderful person, Marinette. I mean it, anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend.”

She stood up and impulsively hugged him. Chat Noir enveloped her in his arms and kissed her forehead gently, before bowing and vaulting away with his trademark smile.

* * *

Chat Noir landed near the Hotel and detransformed behind a recycling bin, walking the rest of the way to the service entrance.

His room was still cordoned off as a crime scene, but the policeman guarding the door allowed him to gather some clothes and personal objects.

As he ducked under the police tape, he was surprised to see there wasn’t a lot of damage. The suite was large and had a hall which led to the main living area, where the console had been, and which had taken the brunt of the explosion. He couldn’t help thinking that he might have survived if the bomb had gone off in his hands, but his model looks would very likely have been gone. He felt a chill down his spine and walked into the room.

After filling up a sports bag with some essentials, Adrien thanked the police officer and went to see Chloé, to let her know he’d be laying low for a while. She started to protest, but he explained the Police insisted he should get out of the hotel.

“Call me, okay?” Chloé said as she hugged him goodbye. “We’ll go shopping one of these days!”

“Definitely! And a SPA day after, on me!” He added cheerfully, parting with _la bise_.

Adrien left the hotel and made his way to his new home, and for the second time that day, an overwhelming wave of affection for Marinette filled his soul.

* * *

Chat Noir's visit soothed Marinette's troubled mind, even as it melted her heart. Her partner's reassurances made her more determined than ever to help Adrien. And more confused about her feelings than ever before.

It would be no use trying to investigate tonight, so she texted Chat Noir from her spare phone.

>   
>  **Tomorrow, 10 AM. Préfecture de police. Secret mission. 🐞**


	7. CSI: Paris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Miraculous decide to take a more hands-on approach to the investigation. The technicians of the Scientific Police may hold important clues to the mysterious threats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU DAY!  
> I didn’t think an AU fit into this story, unless by some contrived dream scenario. So, I opted for this CSI AU with some cameos. I hope it counts and I hope you enjoy it!

Adrien woke up to the wonderful smell of fresh bread, after the best night’s sleep in years. He felt safe, he had Plagg… he was home. He got up and took a quick shower and got dressed before stepping into the bakery kitchen.

“Good morning, M. Dupain, Mme. Cheng!”

“Good morning, son! And M. Dupain is my father, call me Tom!”

Sabine greeted him with _la bise_ and a hug, careful not to get flour on him.

“And call me Sabine. Go upstairs and have some breakfast. Marinette is up already.”

He did as he was told, to find Marinette sitting at the table, croissant in her mouth, pencil in one hand and phone in the other, scribbling frantically in a notebook.

“Good morning, Marinette,” he greeted from the doorway, so as not to startle her. Still, she bounced almost imperceptibly and slammed the notebook shut.

“ _Woof forfing…_ ” swallowing a bite of the croissant, she repeated, “good morning, Adrien. Help yourself to some breakfast. We have fresh tea, but I can make coffee if you prefer.”

“Tea will be great, thanks.” He poured a cup of tea and took a croissant. “You and your parents will spoil me rotten! I won’t have warm pastries for breakfast when I get my own place.”

“I’ll be happy to deliver some for you every morning,” she replied, before correcting herself, “I mean, if you order some we can include you in the delivery route, I don’t mean I’m going to wake you up personally with a tray of warm croissants and breakfast in bed!”

“That doesn’t sound so bad, either,” he quipped with a wink. “I’ve heard of personal catering, but that would be a whole other level!”

Adrien took great pleasure in the way Marinette blushed and flustered to reply.

“Oh, is it 9:30 already!? I really have to go!” Hurriedly, she gathered her phone, notebook and pencil and went up in her room. “See you later!”

“I have to go too… I have a… business meeting. Later!”

* * *

At ten o’clock sharp, Ladybug landed on the roof of the Préfecture de Police. Chat Noir was already waiting for her, and they were soon joined by Pégase and Markov. They sat in a circle to coordinate their strategy.

“So, I asked you to come here today because there's a civilian in danger. It’s not a magical danger, at least I don’t think so, but he _is_ related to Hawkmoth, so we have to cover all our bases.”

The other ones nodded.

“So, as you may have heard, Gabriel Agreste’s son is back in Paris, and _someone_ didn’t like it — and now they're threatening his life…” She briefed them on what she knew so far and explained her plan.

“I have already talked to Lieutenant Raincomprix. The technicians of the Scientific Police are expecting us to aid the investigation. That’s where I thought you might help us, Pégase and Markov—”

“Talos, please,” the tiny robot corrected.

Ladybug noticed for the first time that he was also in a sort of superhero costume: a vinyl sticker which concealed part of his head and a tiny cape. It was _adorable_ , but they had serious business at hand.

“Excuse me?”

“I also need a secret identity. Everyone knows who created Markov, so it will be safer if I am in disguise as well.

Chat Noir suppressed a chortle, “Okay… but… why Thanos?”

“ _Talos_ ,” the robot corrected, before explaining, “in Greek mythology, Talos, also spelt Talus or Talon, was a giant automaton made of bronze to protect Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. Talos was made by Hephaestus at the request of Zeus — Source: Wikipedia. According to—”

“The _giant_ part didn’t go very well there, did it?” Chat Noir made air quotes and was having trouble suppressing his laughter.

“Okay, okay! _Talos_ it is!” Ladybug rubbed her temples. “I thought you and Pégase might help the lab people with data analysis and narrow down the suspect list. I’m sure your AI is much more advanced than their old computers.”

“Anything to help, Ladybug. Adrien is an old friend of mine! I will do whatever I can to help him.”

“Thank you, Pégase,” Chat Noir chimed in. As the others looked at him in confusion, he added, “I— I have saved this Adrien kid a few times, too, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

“Now, as for you and me, Chat Noir, we will help the police with their interrogations. They have a few people they want to interview.” Ladybug wriggled her right-hand fingers into a claw. “I thought you could use your powers of persuasion on them.”

“Oh, my powers of _purr-suasion_ are _im-paw-ssible_ to resist, Milady.”

“I stepped right into that one, didn’t I?” Her scolding was too light-hearted to be serious, and she continued, “I will supervise everything. There are some things I need to check at the hotel, so I’ll go there first. Now, let’s get to work!”

They joined their hands in the middle of the circle and Ladybug cried: “Three, two, one—”

“Team Miraculous!”

* * *

As he made his way to the inside of the police station, Chat Noir was still impressed by the show of support from his friends. Ladybug had only interacted with him as Adrien a few times — her keen sense of responsibility was likely what led her to help. As for Max, well, he wasn’t even one of his best friends, and his eagerness to help touched him even more because of that.

Chat Noir met Lieutenant Raincomprix outside an interrogation room.

“Ah, thank you, Chat Noir, Ladybug said you’d come and help. Now, _officially_ you can not ask questions during the interviews, but we can certainly play good cop/bad cop. I believe your presence alone will act as an… encouragement for them to be truthful.”

* * *

“Hello, M. Pégase, welcome to our crime lab.” The silver-bearded, middle-aged man offered his hand to the superhero. “My name is Docteur Gilles Grison, department head.”

“Thank you, Dr. Grison. This is Talos, my… sidekick. I am looking forward to working with you. Where shall we begin?”

“I believe we could use your sidekick’s assistance with the threatening note.”

They went into one of the labs, where a young technician with spiky hair with frosted tips was analysing the note.

“This is Grégoire Sangnier, our specialist in DNA and materials. What have you got so far, Greg?”

“The note was carefully crafted. There’s no trace of DNA or fingerprints. The markings on the edge of each word seem to indicate that the unsub used tweezers to avoid leaving any clues.”

“I see,” Pégase took the sealed note and observed it carefully. “Can you scan it, Talos?”

“Scanning…”

The robot used his UV and infrared lights to scan the document.

“From the analysis of the paper and fonts, I conclude that all the letters were cut from the same publication. The paper is high quality coated 180 grams per square metre, which suggests a luxury brochure.”

“I had come to the same conclusion myself,” Greg replied, a little sceptical about this tiny machine’s capabilities.

“Scanning all the magazines and brochures published in France in the last three years… scanning… Aha! The words patterns, letter kerning and ink density lead me to determine that they all come from the Gabriel Fashion Catalog, Autumn/Winter last year.”

“That is fantastic!” Dr. Grison couldn’t help his excitement. “We might have to get a few of these for the lab here, huh Greg?”

The other technician was gaping at Pégase and Talos, speechless.

* * *

At the Grand Paris, Ladybug was joined by Fire Captain Hessenpy. Her blood ran cold when she entered Adrien’s room and saw the scorched wall, but did her best to keep a professional tone of voice.

“What can you tell me about the bomb?”

“So, as you can see here, the explosion was relatively small. Together with the note, we have determined that it was meant to scare M. Agreste, rather than cause serious harm.”

“Still, if he’d been holding the bomb…”

“He might have lost a few fingers. He was very lucky.”

“So, what made it detonate? Was it on a timer?”

“I’ll show you—” the fire chief opened a manila envelope and pulled out some photos. “These are the components we were able to recover. Here you can see the remnants of a basic electronic timer, and here a secondary device that would have been triggered by opening the box.”

“Basic? So this was an amateur job?”

“You wouldn’t believe what you can find online. It is scarily easy to build a bomb with household items.”

“Which makes them impossible to trace, right?”

“Precisely.”

“And is there any common element between this explosion and the fire at Le Gong Doré?”

“Now, that was a different scenario.” He showed her another photo, which she recognized as the floor of the salon where she’d been speaking to Adrien on the day of the concert. “The arsonist used a device made with a can of lighter fluid and a fuse. In this case, they would have had to be at the scene to light it.”

“Where exactly in the bar was this one ignited?”

“We found the evidence just under a love seat close to the bar. Do you know the place?”

Ladybug was deeply unsettled. The fire had started _literally_ under their noses. No wonder they were the first people to come out — they had been the first to smell the smoke! Composing herself as best she could, she continued.

“I have been there a few times, yes. I was there on the night of the fire, helping to evacuate, remember?”

Captain Hessenpy continued his explanations, but Ladybug was unable to keep up. She was trying to remember all the details of that night. She’d been talking to Adrien, then he made some comment about feeling hot, at which point she noticed the smell of smoke, and someone screamed ‘fire’. But then, if they were the closest people to the fire, _who_ had cried? She had to talk to Adrien as soon as possible.

* * *

Back at the crime lab, Pégase, Talos and Greg had finished with the note. It was a dead-end: even though the Gabriel Catalogues were limited edition, still, a whopping 500 issues had been distributed to select customers and fashion editors. The spectrometer analysis of the glue was also fruitless, as it was a common spray mount, the kind of adhesive used in design and photo presentations. Again, a specialist product, but impossible to trace.

Grison led them to the computer lab for another set of evidence.

“Hello, Sara,” the man greeted a pretty young woman and introduced her to the heroes. “This is the brilliant Sara Sable, she is in charge of the database analysis for this case.”

Sara welcomed her boss’s compliment with a smile, before clearing her throat and turning to the computers.

“So… On this screen, you can see the composite portrait as described by the victim… on this one, the facial recognition software is trying to find a match from several criminal databases. As you can tell from the progress bar, it will take several hours…”

“Say no more,” Pégase interrupted, “Talos, please…”

The robot plugged itself to the computer, and instantly the progress bar started moving a lot faster.

“ _Wow_!” Sara turned to Grison and exclaimed, “We might have to get a few of these for the lab here, right Gilles?”

* * *

Chat Noir and Lieutenant Raincomprix finished interrogating the hotel valet. Another unproductive interview, as were all the previous ones.

“According to M. Agres— Athanase, this gentleman may have a motive to keep him away from Paris.” He opened the door to let the man in, and indicated the chair opposite Chat Noir, taking the other chair.

“Good morning… Now… M. Germain Villepin, right? CFO of the Agreste group, correct?”

“Correct. Now, do you mind telling me why I am here? And do I need to call my lawyer?”

“Not at all, M. Villepin. This is just a routine investigation. We are interviewing some of M. Gabriel Agreste’s associates again.”

“I already told you several times, I knew nothing of his… extra-curricular activities.”

“We know that. This is unrelated…”

The policeman began flipping pages in a file, careful not to let M. Villepin see anything, and occasionally showing something to Chat Noir.

“Let’s get to it then. Can you share your _exact_ whereabouts on the night of Monday, 12th of October?”

“Monday?… Hmmm… We had the big board meeting in the morning… I won’t forget _that_!” The last words were spoken with disdain. “I left the office after lunch, I wasn’t feeling well.”

“What was so memorable about this meeting?” interrogated Chat Noir.

The man was puzzled by the hero’s questioning, but replied with a sneer.

“It’s confidential business information. What I _can_ tell you is that I was as good as sacked that day.”

“That would be enough to make anyone upset. Namely, at the person who did the sacking.”

“What are you implying, young man?”

“Calm down, Monsieur,” Raincomprix intervened. “We are exploring every avenue, we would be remiss if we didn’t. Where did you go after work that day?”

“I… I went home. I called my wife, she came home from work too. We needed to talk… about our future.”

“Please go on. Did you spend the rest of the day at home?”

“No. We decided to go out for dinner, but my wife had to drop by the newsroom to sign off on some last-minute designs, so I waited for her in the car for some thirty minutes. I was trying to book our dinner in some app.” Roger nodded for him to continue. “Then we went for dinner at the Lasserre, on Franklin Roosevelt Avenue. I was lucky to get a table, it’s my wife’s favourite.”

“Hmm-hmm… at what time did you arrive and what time did you leave?”

“Erm… We got there at 19:30. Our reservation was for 20:00, so we got a drink at the bar… and we took an Uber home… We had a little too much to drink and left my car in the restaurant garage.”

“We’ll need the receipt for the restaurant and for the Uber. You send it by email tomorrow… One other question… Where were you on the 3rd of October?”

“October… October… Oh, I was away on business. I had to travel to China to oversee some silk imports.” He took his phone and looked through the calendar. “Oh yes. I travelled to Shanghai on the 1st and travelled back on the 6th.”

“Alone?”

“No, our head of purchases went with me. We were together all the time while in China.”

“Right. Please make sure you send me the electronic boarding pass for those flights, too.” Raincomprix turned over a page in his notebook. “We have one last question, for verification purposes only. What’s your wife’s name and occupation?”

“I don’t see how this is relevant… her name is Ségolène Clair-Villepin. She is the fashion editor at Dernier Cri Magazine.”

“Dernier Cri?” Chat Noir blurted, “that’s one of those awful gossip rags, isn’t it?”

“My wife prefers the term _high-end celebrity and fashion magazine_ … She’d kill me if she heard me say this, but… yes. Basically, gossip, who wore it better… Although the fashion section is good, Gabriel Fashion has advertised there in the past.”

The only reply from the hero was a “huh” while tapping his chin with a clawed finger. Impatient, the executive turned to the police officer.

“Am I free to go now?”

“My dear M. Villepin, you were never _not_ free… thank you for your time!”

“It seems he’s not involved,” Raincomprix said to Chat Noir when the man was gone. “We only have one more interview today.”

“I wouldn’t scratch him off the suspects’ list yet,” Chat Noir replied. “This isn’t the kind of man who would do his own dirty work.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Ladybug was in the Grand Paris security office.

“But… Mlle. Ladybug…” Mayor Bourgeois grovelled, “we have already provided all the surveillance files to the Police!”

“I still need to see them.” She turned to the guard operating the video system and ordered, “Show me the footage from Monday, 12th of October, starting at 18:00.”

The guard hesitated, looking nervously at Ladybug and his boss in turn until the latter nodded.

“Let’s start at the reception. I want to see the moment the package was delivered.”

She watched carefully as the images scrolled on the screen at high-speed. At 20:33, a man entered the hotel holding a box in both hands, despite it being small in size.

“Pause there! Show me the other angles for this timestamp.”

There were a few cameras installed at the reception, so they were able to track every step the man took.

“I’m going to need a copy of that footage.” The guard fiddled on the computer and moved a few files into a USB drive.

“Is that all, Mlle. Ladybug?”

“Not yet, Mayor. Now please show me the hall of Adr— M. Athanase’s room, a few minutes later.”

The top floor hallway footage showed the valet making his way to the door, which opened just as he was about to knock. Then the quick delivery, the tip, then Adrien closing the door and leaving. He walked quickly to the end of the hall and pressed the button for the lift.

“Please switch to the camera in the lift.”

On the screen, Adrien was acting uncomfortable and fidgety. He seemed to be talking to himself. Then he seemed to be adjusting the contents of his pockets. He took something from the outer pockets of his hoodie and put it into the inner pockets.

“These rich dudes, I swear,” the technician scoffed. “Who needs two phones? Though it’s not the strangest thing I've—”

Mayor Bourgeois elbowed the man, who shut up immediately.

“Make me a copy of these, as well, please,” Ladybug muttered.

She took the USB drive and left, making a call from her yo-yo before flying away.

“Chat Noir? I think I may have a lead. Meet me in the crime lab.”

* * *

“We have one more interview, Milady. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”

Chat Noir hung up and turned to Roger, leaning back on the chair and putting his feet on the table.

“So, who do we have now?”

“Oh, I think you know her already.” He opened the door and in came Nathalie Sancoeur.

It took all of Chat Noir’s agility not to fall backwards. It had been a huge disappointment to find out Nathalie was Hawkmoth’s accomplice. Strict and cold as she was, she was the closest thing to a motherly figure Adrien had for years. He sat straight on the chair, clearing his throat.

“Ah, good morning, Mlle. Sancoeur.” Lieutenant Raincomprix greeted her, pointing to the hot seat.

“Good morning. Lieutenant. Chat Noir.” Her lip curled in a sneer as she said his name. This was going to be a tough one. “Why am I here?”

“You’re here because we need to ask you some questions,” Roger explained in a placating tone. “Rest assured, this falls under your cooperation agreement, and will not aggravate your sentence in any way.”

“Ask away.”

“Were you aware that your former employer’s son was back in Paris?”

“It has come to my attention. One of the few luxuries I have these days is reading the celebrity news.”

“Have you tried to contact him in any way?”

“No.” She breathed a small laugh through her nose. “I haven’t. Even if I did, he has made it clear he never wants to see me or his father again.”

“Are you aware of the threats that have been made to young M. Agreste?”

“Threats?” Something like concern seemed to cross her countenance. “What kind of threats? Is Adrien… M. Agreste alright?”

“He is fine, he is safe and in an undisclosed location. Now, help us out a little… who would stand to gain if M. Agreste was out of the picture?”

“Out of the picture? That would depend. In the time he was in London, the board took over the company. Without mine or Gabriel’s supervision, who knows what they’ve been up to…”

“And what about if something more serious happened?” Chat Noir asked in a faint voice. “What would happen if he died?”

“If he died, since he has no other family, his aunt and cousin would inherit everything. I doubt they would want anything to do with the company — they abhorred Gabriel — and they are much richer than the Agrestes. But they might keep the company and control it remotely, out of spite.” Nathalie wasn’t even trying to hide her disgust now. “Did she hire that lawyer of hers? That Barthélemy Poussin? Now that’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They tried to sue Gabriel to get custody of Adrien when Émilie was reported missing, claiming he was abusive. But he loved his family—”

“That’s enough, Mlle. Sancoeur!” Chat Noir interrupted, outraged. “You aren’t playing character witness for that _criminal_ today. Why do you say Barthélemy Poussin is a baddie, huh? Just because he opposed your _sugar daddy_?”

“I beg your pardon!?” Nathalie stood up from her chair, but her voice was still cool as ice. “Lieutenant Raincomprix, should I call my attorney? Did you bring me here just to insult me?”

“Now, now, Mlle. Sancoeur, please stay with us a little longer. I am very interested in hearing your opinion on that lawyer.”

She sat back down and crossed her arms.

“You should investigate that man. We hired a detective at the time, and he found some dirt on him. I can give you his number.”

“That will be appreciated, Mlle. Sancoeur. I will have one of my men drive you home. I will even tell him to take the longer route along the Seine, so you can enjoy the outing.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant Raincomprix. You are very kind. Unlike some other so-called heroes.”

Chat Noir hissed at her, intent on annoying her.

Taking his baton, he texted Ladybug:

> **“I have some theories of my own. I’ll be at the crime lab in 20 min. 😽”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is responsible for the threats to Adrien’s life? What is Ladybug’s theory? What is Chat Noir’s bet? And what is Pégase thinking?
> 
> _Of course I know the answer to all these questions!_
> 
> ALL will be revealed in the last chapter.
> 
> P.S. Sorry I haven't been able to reply to comments, I promise I will when I finish! Please know I read and appreciate them!


	8. Revelations Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heroes join the investigating team in a marathon of analyzing evidence and brainstorming to identify the person behind the attacks on Adrien.  
> But the criminal is not the only one whose identity is at risk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was turning into a monster, so I decided to post it in two parts.

“So, what have we learned today?” Ladybug asked, leaning back on her chair.

The three-and-a-half heroes were sitting in a large meeting room, joined by Lieutenant Raincomprix, Fire Captain Hessenpy, Gilles Grison, Greg Sangnier and Sara Sable. 

They had looked over the clues for hours, and although they had some suspicions, none was material enough to make an arrest.

Pégase pointed at a whiteboard with a laser pointer.

“We already ruled out anyone who didn’t know about Adrien’s name change. Also, only a limited number of people were privy to his return to Paris.” 

“That still leaves about thirty suspects,” Raincomprix had an exhausted look on his face.

“And remember,” rubbing his hands over his eyes, Chat Noir pointed out, “even though some people didn’t officially know about the name change, the gossip magazines probably did.” 

“So, we have to look at it in parts. The old adage they teach us in the police academy: means, motive, and opportunity.”

“We need to start with the motive.” Standing up, Ladybug approached the whiteboard and took the marker. “Who has gained while Adrien was away and might stand to lose with his return? Yes, Lieutenant?” 

“The obvious answer is Villepin, the CFO. But he has solid alibis for the times of the attacks.” 

Ladybug wrote “VILLEPIN” on the board. 

“And the man who followed m— M. Athanase was physically very different— from the description, anyway. Villepin is short and chubby, Adrien described a tall and fit man.” 

“But as you said earlier,” Roger countered, “these people always have minions to do their dirty jobs.” 

“Let’s keep him in the list for now. Next… Adrien’s lawyer, Maître Poussin.” Ladybug looked at Raincomprix, puzzled. “Why is he on the list?” 

“Mlle. Sancoeur indicated he might have a motive to keep Adrien away. He has power of attorney to make management decisions within the Agreste estate and business ventures.” 

“Did you look into the dirt she mentioned?” Chat Noir asked.

“I called the private investigator she mentioned and he emailed me all the so-called dirt. Nothing major. It seems he smoked a few illegal substances while at University and caused some ruckus on campus. But at the time he was suing Gabriel for custody, it might have been enough to discredit him. I would keep Poussin in the backburner for now, though.”

“As I expected, Mlle. Sancoeur still can’t be trusted.” Ladybug snapped and turned to Chat Noir. “She _was_ Mayura, after all. Could _she_ have ordered the attacks out of spite?” 

“I’d bet my tail against it. She didn’t know about the name change and wasn’t even aware of the incidents. She even looked a bit worried in her own cold way.”

“Next, Adrien’s heirs…”

* * *

Although they had been able to narrow down the list to a handful of people, they were still far from a clear conclusion and circled back to the physical evidence.

Captain Hessenpy was looking through the photos, pointing out some details. 

“Although the explosive devices were built with common items, the workmanship behind them points to some expertise. Possibly military.”

Sara asked to see the photos and discussed them with her colleagues. 

“Captain Hessenpy, have you seen this?” She showed him some details on the photos with a magnifying glass, then turned to Ladybug. “Bombs often have a signature, you know. It may be intentional, like signing a painting, or just the way the perp was trained. It looks like the same type of Bickford fuse was used in both devices… This can be as good as a fingerprint!” She opened her laptop and started typing frantically, Talos hovering above her shoulder. Gilles continued the explanation.

“So, about these signatures… There are international databases where we can search for these details, and that’s what Sara is doing at the moment. Naturally, it may happen that this one isn’t there… It's not infallible, but it's definitely useful.”

Sara pulled up the crime scene photos. “Can you help me enhance them, Talos?” 

Immediately, the robot plugged itself to the laptop.

“Affirmative… Enhancing… magnifying… applying algorithms… Done!”

The enhanced images were projected on one of the walls.

“This specific kind of fuse is so colourful it may have been overlooked.” Sara stood up to point at the photo. “At first sight, it looks harmless. But when you zoom closer…”

“How did we not see this before?” Greg rummaged the evidence box from the bar, pulling out a bag with the tiny bit of fuse. “ _Straw_! Whoever gathered this wrote ‘straw’ on the bag. There were hundreds of straws among the evidence!”

“I can’t blame them much, it looks exactly like a straw…” Gilles placated his colleague and looked through the evidence box from the hotel until he found a similar wire. 

“Talos, please scan every micron of these.” Pégase was clearly enjoying this. “See if you can find any identifying feature.” 

“Affirmative.” Talos unplugged from the laptop and used its tweezer-like arm to pick up each fuse from its bag, scanning every angle, nook and cranny. “The wires have the same cutting pattern at the end, matching the kind of blade used in the official knife of the French Marine Commandos. The chemical composition of the fuse also points to military-grade material.”

“French Marine Commandos?” Chat Noir mumbled, a tiny bell ringing at the back of his mind. 

“That’s very helpful, thank you!” Ladybug added “FMC” to the whiteboard.

“Now, another lead we have is that the fire at Le Gong Doré started right under a sofa where M. Athanase was sitting with his friend. This tells us whoever did it was _in_ the club, knew _exactly_ where his target was and cried the alarm _before_ anyone else could.”

“Wait…” Chat Noir interrupted, “how exactly do we know all this?”

Ladybug hesitated, “I interviewed Adrien and his friend. They told me someone shouted ‘fire’ at a time when they could barely smell the smoke. Since the ignition point was right under then, the only logical explanation is that whoever started the fire also sounded the alarm. Confirming our theory that this was part of a plan to scare the victim all along.”

Another bell sounded in Chat Noir’s head. He never told anyone he’d been sitting with a friend at the bar, not even Ladybug. Moreover, he didn’t remember that the alarm had sounded so quickly. 

Pégase chimed in, “the logic is valid there, but we would need to know the exact times in order to determine the timeline with absolute certainty.”

“Ladybug, a moment… Please?” Chat Noir stood up and gently led her outside the conference room.

“I’m going to need to take a break to pursue another clue.”

“This is very bad timing, Chat Noir… are you sure you have to do it right now?”

“It’s imperative, Milady. Trust me, I believe it will be helpful.”

“Okay, but please keep in touch… if you need to detransform drop me a text on your other phone, alright?” 

She looked really concerned. Chat Noir rubbed her shoulders in reassurance. 

“I _purromise_ , Milady.”

* * *

Adrien knocked on an apartment door. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been there… it was probably when he was a child. He heard a slight grunt before the door opened. 

“Hello, Gorilla!” 

* * *

“Right, everyone, Chat Noir needed to attend to some other superhero matters. Let’s continue. Now, any luck with facial recognition?”

“Affirmative.” Talos projected some stills from the hotel security camera next to the composite portrait drawn from Adrien’s description. “The two pictures match by 95%.”

“Do we have any footage from Le Gong Doré?”

Lieutenant Raincomprix shook his head. “The cameras picked up the man following M. Athanase, but it wasn’t conclusive.”

“Let’s see about that,” Pégase smirked as he asked his sidekick, “Talos, please examine the footage of all cameras near Le Gong Doré, dated Saturday, 3rd of October, starting at 20:00.”

Once again the robot connected to the crime lab computer and scanned the footage, finding the timestamp from when Adrien was leaving the scene. Switching between cameras, Talos was able to trace the path he had taken, as well as the stranger following him. 

“It definitely looks like the same person. His height and build match.” Ladybug frowned and narrowed her eyes, approaching the screen. “And it’s the same overcoat… Please pause, Talos… there… zoom in on that logo…”

She snapped her fingers and the others gasped as they saw Gabriel’s butterfly logo on the garment. 

“I thought I recognized that piece. It’s from Gabriel’s AW collection, 2017. A few years old, but still, it’s not your run-of-the-mill coat.” The rest of the group looked at her with curiosity. “What? I like fashion, that's all!”

“I just got an idea,” Pégase asked Sara to take over the computer. “We may be able to backtrack his steps from the hotel. That area has several luxury establishments, all with several cameras.” He typed a few commands on a black window.

"But that footage isn't accessible by law enforcement!" Raincomprix argued. 

"Not officially, no. You haven't seen me do this!" Pégase answered with a smirk before pressing the Enter key.

The screen was showing a person who seemed to be walking backwards. The angles switched every few steps, but the abundance of cameras allowed Talos to follow his path uninterrupted until he walked backwards into a bus. The room murmured in unison. 

“Follow the bus now, Talos!” 

The view changed to the camera inside the bus. Even with the lights on and colour footage, the man’s face was still obscured by a cap. It was almost comical to see the bus driving in reverse, people going in and out back-to-front, but Talos was able to determine the stop where the man got out. Once again the robot was using traffic cameras to follow the man’s steps walking backwards on the sidewalk, until he went into a building. 

“Wait!”

“Is that?…”

“It’s the Agreste corporate office!” Ladybug slammed her fist in her own palm. “Now we’re getting somewhere!”

* * *

Gorilla released Adrien from his bear-hug and invited him into the living room. 

“So… It’s been a long time, huh?” Adrien asked as he sat down on the sofa. “How have you been?”

Over the years, Adrien had taught himself sign language, so they could communicate with each other. He was aware that Gorilla’s vocal impairment was caused in the first Gulf War, though it was unclear whether it had been caused by physical injury or by PTSD.

«OK. I was wondering when you would come to see me,» he signed.

“Sorry I didn’t come by sooner. There were some complications. Someone’s been threatening me.”

The Gorilla made a surprised face, then a deep scowl. 

«Do you need me? I’m retired, but if you need anything—»

“No, thanks, old friend.” Adrien squeezed his shoulder, grateful for the offer. “I actually came here to ask you something else.” 

Gorilla nodded for him to go on. 

“I remember you told me once you were in the Navy, right?” 

Another nod.

“Weren’t you part of the French Marine Commandos?” 

This time the nod was more hesitant. Clearly he was reluctant to discuss his past.

“I remember one time you brought me here when I was little. You’d forgotten your wallet or something like that. I pestered you to show me photos, remember that?”

Gorilla assented once again, this time with a gentle smile. He stood up and took an album from the bookcase.

«This one?»

“Yes, that’s it. Do you mind showing it to me again?”

Adrien took the offered album and leafed through the photos of baby Gorilla, then his childhood and teenage years. He was moved by a photo of his friend singing lead in a pop band. After a few more pages, he got to the one he remembered. 

It was a group photo, with a handful of uniformed marines posing in the desert. Gorilla was top centre, smiling broadly and holding his arms around four other men almost as tall as him. 

“This man. Who is this?” Adrien pointed at the man on the right edge of the photo. “I think I know him…”

«That’s Léon Leloup.» Gorilla took a notebook and wrote down the name for clarity. «He was in my squad, one of my best mates.»

“But I _know_ him. How do I know him?” 

«He had a tough time after the war. He did some… bad things. Couldn’t find a job. I helped him. I was working for Gabriel then, and asked Mme. Agreste to help him get a job. She was a nice lady.»

“I bet she helped him out, right? He worked at the Agreste Group, didn’t he?”

«Yes, he started as a night watchman and errand-runner. But I know he’s done some shady jobs for the board members.»

“What do you mean?” 

«Industrial espionage. Persuading competitors to drop out on a deal. I told him not to do these things — we communicated by text message — but he said he didn’t mind and they paid extra for it. One time I found out he broke someone’s leg while… warning him. We had a bad fight, and he never texted or spoke to me again.»

“Did… did _my father_ order him to do these things?”

«Sometimes. Others, too. Villepin took him under his wing after your father started… working from home.»

“Do you know if he still works there?”

Gorilla shook his head. 

«I don’t know. Haven’t heard any news since they fired me.» 

Adrien was surprised to know his loyal bodyguard had been fired. As they parted with another friendly hug, he was already planning to get him a cushy job in the new company. 

He took the métro to go home _(home!)_ and dropped a line on the Ladyblog DM system: 

> **_From: Bugfan0809_ **
> 
> **_To: 🐞Joaninha_19🐞_ **
> 
> I need to talk to you. I have important info on the man who followed me. 

* * *

Ladybug ignored the notification pulse from her yoyo. They were still trying to identify the man in the overcoat, but his face wasn’t on any database. He was like a ghost. 

“I can’t believe this will be another dead end!” As the notifications became insistent, she finally opened her messages. 

> **_From: Bugfan0809_ **
> 
> **_To: 🐞Joaninha_19🐞_ **
> 
> I need to talk to you. I have important info on the man who followed me. 

•

> **_From: Bugfan0809_ **
> 
> **_To: 🐞Joaninha_19🐞_ **
> 
> Please call me 06 55 55 23 24. It’s urgent.

•

> **_From: Bugfan0809_ **
> 
> **_To: 🐞Joaninha_19🐞_ **
> 
> Please call me ASAP. 

“Please excuse me… I need to make a call.” 

She left the meeting room and called the number Adrien had given her. 

“Hello? Ladybug?”

“You wanted to speak to me? Are you alright?”

“Yes. I suddenly remembered I knew the man who followed me. Can we talk?”

“You’re not in the Agreste office, are you?”

“No, don’t worry. Tell me where you are, I’ll come to you.”

“No! It’s too dangerous! Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”

“I’m staying at the Tom & Sabine Bakery.”

“I know where that is. I’ll be in the back alley in five minutes. Wait for my text before you go out. The person who’s after you may be more dangerous than we thought.”

“I know. That’s why I need to see you.”

“Okay. See you in five.”

She looked at the clock on her display. It was almost dinner time. Ladybug switched the caller ID to her civilian phone and texted her mother.

> **Having dinner with Alya. Then maybe dancing. Don’t wait for me. ❤️**

Ladybug popped her head in the meeting room to inform the others she had to go get a witness. 

Moving above the rooftops as fast as she could, she got to the bakery in less time than she expected and texted Adrien. 

> **I’m waiting outside. Coast is clear, you can come out. LB 🐞**

Adrien came out of the bakery, looking at his phone, his face white as a ghost. He showed her the screen with her text and caller ID. 

“Ma— Marinette?”

* * *

“This can’t be happening! I can’t believe I was so clumsy!” 

Adrien watched Ladybug walk back and forth, hands over her face, then pause to look at her yoyo screen.

“I can’t believe I forgot to change the caller ID!” 

Adrien stepped in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders to stop the frantic pacing.

“Hey. Hey. It’s alright. Anyone can make a mistake. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“I _can’t_ make mistakes. If _I_ make a mistake, people may _die_. Do you get that?”

“I do. But what’s done is done… unless your yoyo has a built-in Men in Black neuralizer…” he added to try and lift her spirits, which resulted in a little chuckle. “We— I mean _you_ have a case to solve.” 

Ladybug stood straight and nodded. 

“You’re right. But we _will_ talk about this later. And I may actually ask Max to develop a neuralizer...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to post the second part as soon as possible, but might not be able to make the deadline, for which I am sorry!  
> Also, please allow me some artistic license on the technical crime scene and military stuff, I didn't research it as thoroughly as I would like...
> 
> Shout out to my amazing friends in the LTWWS Discord group, your help and support were vital all through this challenge!


	9. Revelations Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revelations continue… Not only is the crime close to solving, but the rest of the puzzle pieces seem to be falling into place.  
> How will the heroes of Paris handle all the new information?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to apologize profusely for the delay, I wanted to keep up with the fluffweek days, but due to personal reasons and several runaway plot points, it was impossible to update any sooner.  
> The bad news is, this isn't quite finished just yet.  
> The good news is, I am going to add a super fluffy epilogue to the story!  
> Hope you enjoy!

_“I’m gonna tell her— No. It would be selfish of me to tell. But she needs to know— Oh my gosh, she’s holding me_ so tight! _— No— she doesn’t want to know— Maybe Marinette still likes me? That would be… I’m telling her! The Guardian should know, right?— Though she never wanted to know— But it’s unfair if I know and she doesn’t— If only I could talk to Plagg right now…”_

It took a few minutes for Adrien to realize the full scale of this revelation. The time it took for them to get to the Préfecture de Police, to be exact. Ladybug’s voice cut through his panicked thoughts.

“We’re here.”

“Huh?”

“Are you with me?”

“Yeah, yeah… sorry. I was just… a little nauseous— from the flying.”

“Oh— I’m sorry— I didn’t mean—”

“No, no… It’s probably something I ate— not at the bakery, of course, everything there is delicious and—”

“— to fly so fast— it’s just— everyone’s expecting us—”

The ridiculousness of the situation made both laugh somewhat hysterically at the same time. Ladybug made a gesture for him to follow her into the building.

The meeting room table was now a mess of crime scene photos, evidence bags and pizza boxes. Everyone was still there, except for Chat Noir (obviously) and Captain Hessenpy, who had been called for an emergency.

“Ah!… M. Ag—Athanase! Come in, come in!” Visibly tired and dishevelled, Lieutenant Raincomprix pointed to a chair. “We have a few questions.”

Adrien sat down, still reeling from the new information ( _Marinette!?_ ), mentally and physically exhausted.

“I know the name of the man who’s been following me!” He blurted out before anyone could ask anything. “He worked at my fa— at the Agreste Group. His name is Léon Leloup, he was in the same battalion as my former bodyguard in the French Marine Commandos.”

He pulled up a copy of the battalion photo on his phone, airdropped it to Talos and recounted his visit as it was projected on the screen.

The rest of the evening was spent discussing the evidence under the light of this new information and planning a strategy for the next day. Adrien was barely aware of it, only speaking when he was asked some detail.

By the time the plan was in place and it was time to wrap up, he had come to a decision.

* * *

Ladybug had to shake Adrien to get his attention. Everyone else was gone except Ladybug and Lieutenant Raincomprix who was waiting by the door to lock up the meeting room.

“Are you coming?” Roger asked, with a tired laugh. “I _could_ let you sleep here, but it’s not very comfortable!”

“Yes, sorry… It was just a tough day. Tough few weeks if I’m honest.” Adrien got up from the chair and stretched. “Hey, Ladybug… could you give me a lift?”

“Oh, I can have one of my officers drive you—”

“It’s okay, Lieutenant, it’s no trouble at all. Come on then, Adrien.”

Shortly after, they were once again soaring above the streets on the way to the bakery. They landed in one of the back alleys. Ladybug hesitated for a little bit, before shrugging and detransforming.

“I guess there’s no use hiding from you now, right?”

“N—no— I mean— right—”

Tikki flew around Marinette and then around Adrien, greeting him with a wink.

“Nice to meet you, Adrien. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

“Nice to meet you, Tikki,” he replied flatly.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

They walked the remaining few metres in silence.

Marinette opened the back door and went up the stairs, whispering, “are you hungry?”

“Not really, no.” Adrien remained at the bottom of the stairs, clutching his stomach. “I still feel a bit weird.”

“My mother has a great herbal tea for that. Come upstairs, I’ll make some for us both.”

Adrien followed her silently into the apartment. Marinette thought it was unusual for him to be this quiet. Then again, what small talk would be appropriate? She put the kettle on and started to put some cups, plates and leftover pastries on a tray.

“I hope you like your tea without sugar. Maman says it counteracts the calming effects of the herbs.”

“No sugar will be fine.”

After setting a plate with cookies for Tikki on the counter, Marinette filled the teapot and picked up the tray.

“Let’s go up to the balcony. It’s a nice night, and we’ll have more privacy there— to talk— about everything.”

* * *

Tikki flew up and whispered something in Marinette’s ear as she turned to go upstairs. Winking at Adrien again, the tiny god made a ‘shush’ gesture and phased into the fridge, coming out with a chunk of cheese and setting it next to her treats.

* * *

“So… do you want to talk about it?” Marinette asked him after a few minutes of silence.

“I’m just… adjusting to all we learned today. The identity of the bomber guy, realizing the fire was set _right under my nose_ , finding out you are Ladybug… It’s a lot to process!”

“Yes, I know. Sorry to drop _that one_ on you… I should have been more careful!”

They sat in silence for a few moments more, when Marinette sprang up from her seat.

“Wait! You weren’t there when we discussed the fire at the bar.”

“I— I wasn’t? I think you must have mentioned it.”

“I didn’t mention it in front of you, because Ladybug had no way of knowing you were sitting in that loveseat. And Adrien had no way of knowing where the fire started.”

Taking a deep breath, Adrien stood up and took one of her hands.

“I’ve been keeping secrets, too. I knew about the fire because Chat Noir was in the meeting. And I remembered the guy’s face when Talos mentioned the Marines.”

Marinette dropped his hand and started tugging at her own hair.

“Tikki! Just now, you called Tikki by name. And… and the two phones… and the time you’ve been away…”

Marinette was pacing the roof nervously now, Adrien watching her, speechless.

“Of _course_ it’s you. Who else could it be? And _oh my gosh you arrested your own father!_ ”

That realization seemed to ground her somewhat. Marinette walked back to Adrien and hugged him.

“This was even worse on you than I thought!”

He could almost hear tears in her voice, his eyes starting to water as he hugged her.

“It’s alright, Milady… I’m alright.”

“But…”

Adrien pulled back from the hug just a little and lifted her chin to look into her eyes.

“Look, it’s been a very long day. Raincomprix and the others will be expecting us first thing tomorrow morning. Let’s sleep on it and talk about it when this whole mess is over. Do you think we can do that?”

Marinette nuzzled back into him and nodded.

“Can we just… stay here a little longer?”

“As you wish, Milady.”

* * *

The atmosphere was thick with tension at the Préfecture de Police conference room early the next morning. The team had pretty much gone as far as they could with the evidence… but had yet to create a solid case for the prosecutor to present to a pretrial judge.

The police had summoned M. Villepin and Mme. Clair-Villepin under the pretext of confirming his alibi, to which they complied accompanied by their lawyers. The couple was then separated and left to wait in separate interview cubicles.

Léon Leloup had been more slippery: even with access to classified databases, the team couldn’t find a home address. With the help of Talos and using traffic cameras, Pégase was able to get coordinates for his current whereabouts and _voyage_ to bring him to the Préfecture, and straight into another interrogation room.

Rena Rouge was brought in to help — Ladybug thought there could be no better person to ask the hard questions — and her _mirage_ might come in handy, too.

The state-of-the-art interrogation rooms all had cameras and one-way mirrors which allowed for several interviews to be monitored at the same time in the adjoining conference room.

“We’d better start with what looks like the weakest link,” Lieutenant Raincomprix proposed, “we’ll speak to Villepin first.”

“I’ll go in there with you,” Chat Noir insisted, flexing his fingers. “My interrogation _techniques_ seemed to work well with him”.

“This time he has a lawyer with him, so don’t push it. It may scare him away and throw the whole case out the window,” Ladybug warned, touching his hands in a placating manner.

Chat Noir looked down at their joined hands then back at Ladybug, nodding with a small smile.

“Don’t worry, Milady. I won’t let my prey get away.”

* * *

“I would like to point out that my client is here voluntarily and has been cooperative so far,” the stuffy lawyer started, as soon as Roger and Chat Noir closed the door behind them. “However, this kind of insistence is starting to feel like harassment.”

“Thank you for your concern, Maître. We will take it into consideration. Now, M. Villepin, when did you find out M. Agreste, now Athanase, was returning to Paris?”

“My wife must have told me, you know, from her sources at the magazine.”

* * *

“Of course I knew he’d be returning to Paris! It’s my job to know.”

Mme. Clair-Villepin was being interrogated by Rena Rouge and Gilles Grison in the next room. Her elegant attire and poise didn’t match her behaviour, which was haughty and insolent.

“How did you find out about it?” Rena Rouge insisted, “his own best friends didn’t know until the very day he landed.”

“My husband knew. He found out from someone at his office.”

* * *

This wasn’t working, and Ladybug wasn’t happy. She found the largest police officer available and entered the room where Leloup was waiting, starting the interview without ceremonies.

“M. Leloup. Do you know why we brought you here?”

“No idea, love. I’d just got to work when that Matrix fellow brought me here.”

“Caution there, Leloup,” the officer warned. “A little more respect.”

“Whatever, officer. What is it you want?”

Ladybug slid a copy of Gorilla’s battalion photo across the table.

“Is it you in that photo?”

The man gave the photo a look and put it down with a disdainful smirk.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the details of my military service. We were an elite unit with very special and top-secret assignments.”

“Did these assignments ever include handling bombs and explosives?”

“We were in the Gulf, in the middle of a war. _Of course_ we had to know our way around a bomb or two, that’s part of basic Marine training.”

Ladybug was concerned that this would be another dead end. She should have known a man like this would be hard to break.

“Then, do you recognize this?” She now showed him crime scene photos of both the fire and the remnants of the bomb that had targeted Adrien.

“They look like someone was clumsy in their job,” he chortled.

“Hypothetically, do you recognize the type of device these were part of?”

“Hypothetically, maybe. Though if I wanted to do something like this, _hypothetically_ , I could cover my tracks a lot better. This looks like an amateur job.”

“I tend to agree with you.” She now showed him printouts of the security footage placing him at both crime scenes.“Is this the amateur you were referring too?”

* * *

“Did you send a photographer to follow Adrien around?” Gilles asked Ségolène.

“Of course I did. Sure, I am the fashion editor, but he's a model and the son of a fashion mogul, so that falls under my responsibility.”

“Do you think you have the right to follow a young guy around town,” Rena Rouge snapped, “just because he used to be famous?”

“Boo-hoo, poor little rich boy! He’s a public figure. He knows what he signed up for. He was so tiresome, though! Little goody-two-shoes, going from the hotel to work then back, no parties or drugs, no girlfriend _or_ boyfriend, always covering his pretty face. And still, those hacks at Paris Match managed to get a good photo before we did. I got an earful from my boss. I was _supposed_ to have insider information.”

“And I bet you were pretty mad when you found out he was letting your husband go?”

“Spoiled little brats making grown-up decisions,” she mumbled. Her lawyer put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“According to the company’s investor reports,” Gilles resumed, leafing through a corporate brochure, “the Agreste Group was one of Dernier Cri Magazine’s main advertisers, even after the scandal.”

“So?”

“So, that’s a huge amount M. Villepin was investing in your magazine.”

“The marketing department was in charge of ad placement, not him.”

“We called the marketing director earlier. They were acting under direct orders from your husband. Actually, your magazine was the only one to publish Gabriel ads in the last year.”

“I fail to see the relevance of this line of questioning,” the lawyer warned. “If you don’t have more relevant questions…”

“Only a few more.” Gilles showed her a copy of the Gabriel Fashion Catalog in an evidence bag. “Do you recognize this?”

The woman’s face blanched, but she made a dismissive gesture. “It’s— it’s just an old catalogue. We have hundreds at our office.”

“I doubt that, since this one’s a limited edition. This copy, in particular, was found in your desk drawer, and looks like a child used it for cutout practice.”

“Well… sometimes our designers make collages… mood boards for seasonal trends. I don’t know how that particular one got into my drawer.”

The lawyer cleared his throat in warning.

Rena Rouge was now playing with the evidence bag that contained the note.

“Curious, then, that the bits missing in this magazine can be found on this note…”

“... and the glue used to make the note is a special mounting glue for professional uses,” Gilles added, “and the paper that the words are glued on match your personal stationery. All the printed details were cut off, of course, but this kind of high-end paper is quite… unique.”

* * *

“I’m sure you are aware that the Agreste Group is being audited,” Lieutenant Raincomprix said as he browsed through a stack of printouts. “Our financial forensics team is already examining the books… so far they have found some… creative accounting.”

Villepin squirmed in his seat as Chat Noir observed him attentively, occasionally tapping his claws on the tabletop. The man was sweating profusely, one of his legs shaking nervously under the desk. Roger took his time to look at the reports before resuming.

“Did you ever tell your wife about the audits?”

“I never discuss the details of the job with her. She gets bored with it.”

“Hmm… Here, for example, there are international money transfers to several offshore accounts… marketing expenditures that don’t add up on the receiving end, namely for ads in your wife’s magazine—”

The lawyer interrupted him.

“I’m going to need a few moments alone with my client.”

* * *

Ladybug abruptly changed the subject, trying to throw Leloup off-balance.

“What’s your job description at the Agreste Group?” 

“I started as a security guard and worked my way up.”

“Security guard? That sounds like a huge waste of your… very particular set of skills.”

The man curled his lip in a scornful chuckle.

“Let’s just say that when certain elements of the management team were made aware of my _particular set of skills_ I was given a wider range of tasks.”

“Like?”

“Those particulars fall under my non-disclosure agreement, sweetie.”

“Second warning, tough guy,” the officer boomed, cracking his knuckles. “Answer the lady.”

Leloup just laughed and raised his hands in appeasement.

“Look, I was an errand boy. For things nobody else wanted to soil their hands with.”

“These _special errands_ … who ordered them?”

“Oh, they all did. Even the big shot, the moth guy. Though Villepin and his fancy wife were very demanding lately.”

“Did the volume of _specialized work_ increase in the last year?”

“Hmm… I think this is my queue to ask for a lawyer.”

* * *

Villepin’s attorney knocked on the door to signal the consultation was over.

“My client is willing to cooperate, as long as he gets a guarantee of leniency.”

“You know we can’t make any deals,” Roger answered as he sat back down. “A judge has to approve them first. What we _can_ do is put in a good word to the prosecutor…”

Villepin nodded, and the lawyer whispered in his ear.

“Very well. Ask away.”

* * *

Rena Rouge stepped out of the interview room for a few minutes. She returned holding a tablet showing security footage from the other room and showed it to Gilles, before sitting back down and flipping the tablet screen around.

“Madame Clair-Villepin,” she started, “as you can see, your husband is confessing at this very moment. If you have anything to say in your own defence, this is the right time to speak.”

“That coward!” she sneered as the image showed Villepin signing some papers. “I knew he would break down. I should have got rid of him first.”

Nobody noticed the tablet disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

“Madame—” her lawyer desperately tried to stop her.

“He’s been a doormat all his life. First Gabriel, now his little boy? I couldn’t let it happen. Not after all his hard work!”

“So, it was _you_ who ordered the attacks?” Gilles asked, hardly believing she was actually confessing.

“Attacks? Those were only nudges. I made it very clear the boy shouldn’t be harmed! I should get some recognition for that, no?”

“I’m sure the judge will recognize your magnanimity. Are you ready to make your statement?”

The lawyer was pulling his own hair in exasperation.

* * *

“It started with Gabriel, years ago. He asked me to help him skim a few million Euros off the top of the profits, for personal reasons.

“The lair!” Chat Noir scoffed.

“Probably. It was a huge amount at first, then two or three million Euros per year. I had to come up with ways to ward off any suspicions.”

“But Hawkmoth’s been under arrest for over a year now.” Roger insisted. “Why didn’t you come clean then?”

“I was in too deep. My wife had convinced me to take a little money for ourselves. Like a retirement fund, recognition for loyal service…”

“And now the audit was going to expose you.”

“Exactly. I had also benefited my wife’s magazine over others in ad placement, and that was going to be discovered too, and then _she_ would be fired as well.”

“Still, threatening a teenager like this…” Chat Noir felt a chill down his spine. “Who came up with the plan?”

“I didn’t know about it, I swear. I knew the boy since he was little. She and Léon planned everything— I— I told you I was in China on the day of the fire.”

“How about the bomb?”

“When I got the news they were going to fire me, I went home, as I stated before. I called Ségolène. She came home in a rage. Saying she was going to divorce me, insulting me, demeaning me… I'd never seen her like that before. I begged for her to stay with me… I— I still love her, you know…”

The man looked like a shadow of his arrogant self from a few days ago. His lawyer tapped him on the back and nodded for him to continue.

“Then she said she’d take care of everything. That she’d fix it. She called Léon — we— _she_ had used him a few times for some sensitive magazine business. I didn’t hear the plan, she said something about plausible deniability. We drove to her office, I saw Léon go in there… They stayed up there for almost one hour as I waited in the car. Then, you know how the rest of the evening went. We stayed in the restaurant for a very long time — now I know she was establishing our alibi… she even insisted on taking an Uber home.”

Villepin was crying pathetically now. Whether it was true remorse or good acting, Chat Noir couldn’t tell. The pitiful man earned a little bit of sympathy from him. After all, he was yet another victim of his father’s crimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ends the crime arc. I hope I got all the loose ends neatly tied up. Please let me know in the comments how you like the resolution... or if I forgot anything.  
> This chapter was not beta'd, but still, I'd like to acknowledge the great people on my Discord server, who are always there to bounce ideas off of and offer support when the muses fail.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad guys are dealt with... now it's time to deal with the aftermath of the identity reveal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, apologies for the delay. I hope you like the fluffy epilogue. Don't forget to brush your teeth after reading!

Before the end of the day, the three suspects were arrested and the case passed on to the prosecutor.

Back in the meeting room, Team Miraculous celebrated with the criminal investigators with a collective fist-bump. Lieutenant Raincomprix made a small speech.

“That was a tough couple of days, team. Thank you to everyone involved, in particular to the Miraculous heroes, for volunteering their time and effort. Also, we’d like to order two or three of those robots, so please have the genius who invented it contact me.”

After some more formalities, the team separated for some well-deserved rest. Chat Noir and Ladybug stood awkwardly outside the Préfecture. Now that the job was over and done, both knew there was an _Important Conversation_ to be had, and neither knew how to bring it up.

“So, do you want to go—” she asked.

“Should we get some dinner somewh—” he said at the same time.

They both laughed nervously until Chat Noir gestured for Ladybug to speak first.

“I think we’d better go home. We stayed out late yesterday already… I don’t want my parents to worry.”

Chat Noir nodded, sorry to realize she was still uncomfortable with him. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he nudged her with his elbow.

“Race you there?”

“You want to lose _again_?”

“Catch me if you can!”

Together the heroes raced over the rooftops, each overtaking and taunting the other in turn. Just like the old days.

When the bakery was in sight, Chat Noir was ahead by a few metres. On the last vault he spun around to make a silly face at Ladybug, but the gutter where he’d planted the baton broke and he fell out of sight.

“ _Chat!_ ”

Ladybug was at his side in a flash on the patio where he’d landed. He was lying on his back, moaning and rubbing his head.

“Oh no, Chat… Adrien… are you hurt?” Ladybug fussed over him, unsure whether to help him up or keep him still.

“Just my pride, Milady…” he exhaled and grinned. “I think I need a minute.”

Ladybug nodded and lay down beside him. It was half an hour before dinner time, so they could relax for a little bit. The sun was just setting and a sliver of moon was already visible.

“That was scary just now, you know?” she sighed.

“Don’t worry about me… I still have a few lives left.”

“I will _always_ worry about you, kitty.”

Chat Noir rolled to his side to face her, all playfulness gone from his countenance.

“Is that so?”

“Always have.” Ladybug turned to look directly at him. “All that time you were gone… it was like someone had ripped my heart right down the middle and taken it away from me.”

“Me too. I had no choice, you know.”

She nodded back at him. They lay in silence for a few more minutes.

“Why did you lie to me?” he finally asked. She looked at him in confusion. “All through Collège… why didn’t Marinette-you ever tell me you liked Adrien-me?”

“What?— How?—”

“Nino— but he didn’t— please don’t kill him.” He exhaled a small bitter laugh. “If I’d known then…”

“You would have thought I was just another crazy fangirl with a celebrity crush!”

“No I wouldn’t— not ever!” His fingers gently moved some errant hairs away from her eyes. “I always thought there was something more between you and me, but I was too obsessed with Ladybug to see anyone else.”

“And I was so obsessed with this boy in my class I couldn’t even _speak_ to…” she sighed and took his right hand, tracing his ring with her thumb. “... that I didn’t see my true love was right next to me until he was gone.”

“So it _was_ a celebrity crush?”

Ladybug chortled and punched his shoulder lightly.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

* * *

Even before going into the apartment, the scent of delicious food wrapped around Adrien like a welcoming embrace. Nothing could prepare him for what came next.

“Come on in, kids, dinner’s almost ready!” Tom boomed from behind the kitchen counter. He was putting the finishing touches on an enormous salad, while Sabine was taking a roast out of the oven.

It was such an overwhelming feeling of warmth, love and _home_ , such as he’d never felt before, even when his mother was alive. Tom and Sabine stopped what they were doing to greet them each with _la bise_ and a long hug.

“Now, the roast needs to rest for a little bit,” Sabine hurried them towards the bathroom. “You go wash up while we set the table.”

The evening news had started on the living room TV set.

> _“Nadja Chamack reporting live from the Préfecture de Police. Three arrests were made earlier today, following a thorough investigation carried out by the Scientific Police with the cooperation of Team Miraculous._
> 
> _A source tells us that the police arrested Germain Villepin, CFO of the Agreste Group; his wife, Ségolène Clair-Villepin, fashion editor at Dernier Cri Magazine; and a third person identified only as an Agreste Group employee._
> 
> _The alleged criminals will be presented to a judge tomorrow morning, under charges of fraud, tax evasion and deliberate endangerment of people's lives, namely in the person of M. Adrien Agreste._
> 
> _We were unable to reach any of the parties for further comment. M. Agreste’s lawyer released a brief statement asking the press to respect his client’s privacy at this time.”_

“I guess Maman and Papa heard the news,” Marinette said as she washed her hands, observing Adrien through the reflection in the mirror. “ _That’s_ why they’re being extra nice.”

“Come on, your parents are _always_ nice. I’d ask them to adopt me if I hadn't turned eighteen already.”

“I’m sure they _would_ adopt you! Even if you were twenty-eight!” She tried to suppress a laugh while wiping her hands on the towel. “Although… I’m not sure I’d like that.”

Adrien froze while rinsing his hands, his heart sinking, oblivious to the running water.

“Wh— why not?”

Marinette reached over to close the faucet and pecked him on the cheek, before whispering playfully, “brothers and sisters can’t date.”

* * *

Tom and Sabine went to bed right after dinner and left the clean-up for Adrien and Marinette.

“I’ll wash, you dry,” he suggested. “I don’t know what goes where.”

Even in such a mundane task, the synchronicity between the two was undeniable. After some minutes, Adrien was practically throwing each clean plate for Marinette to catch flawlessly, wipe it and put it away in the cupboard.

When everything was clean, she made some tea and took it to the balcony, just like the previous night. Both were still smiling from their dishwashing antics.

“So…”

“So.”

“Have you thought about what you’ll do now?” Marinette was reclining in her deck chair, examining the inside of her cup.

“I think I’ll stick to my plan.” He stood up and walked towards the railing, admiring the city lights while leaning on it. “Except now my priority will be finding a place to live.”

“You know you can stay here as long as you need.”

“Thank you for that. I really don’t want to be a burden.” Adrien turned to her and gave her a sad smile. “Or a liability.”

“No—,” she was going to object, but knew he was right.

“Most of all… I want to know what it feels like to be free and independent, and… and learn to cook and clean, and make my _own_ house rules, you know?”

“I… I think so,” she smiled. Oh no. It was getting awkward between them once more. “I respect that.”

Another five minutes of silence. Marinette sat sideways on the chair, preparing to get up.

“I know you were joking, before… about, you know, dating.” Adrien sat down on the floor facing Marinette. “But I’d really like to go out with you one of these days.”

“I’d like that very much, too!”

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“I’ll have to look at my schedule. I’m a very busy woman, you see…” Marinette started counting her fingers. “A city to protect, villains to catch, princes to save…”

“By all means, Milady. Call my secretary if you can _squeeze_ me in.”

Marinette gasped and slapped his shoulder jokingly.

“You naughty kitten!” She reached behind the chair to get a spray bottle, then shook it menacingly. “Do you know what happens to naughty kittens?”

“Do they get kitty kisses?”

“They get spayed— no— _sprayed_ — sorry— I’d better leave the puns to you.”

Marinette covered her face in embarrassment, but Adrien burst out laughing.

“Please don’t spray me, Princess… and don’t spay me, either.” Still shaking with laughter, Adrien gently pried her hands away so he could look at her. “I’ll be a good kitten.”

“You _are_ a good kitten. What did you say about kitty kisses?”

Adrien yanked her down to sit in his lap. He held her close for a little bit, then pulled away just enough to look at her.

“Can I kiss you, Marinette?”

“ _Please_ do, Chat Noir.”

_**Fin** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This completes my first Lovesquare Fluff Week challenge. And it was a true challenge for me. I had a blast, though, even if I sometimes forgot the Lovesquare part, the Fluff part, and eventually the Week part.  
> Please let me know how you liked it in the comments, feedback gives me life!

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.  
> English is not my first language and I tend to use UK English. If you catch any inconsistencies please let me know.
> 
> [My Tumblr.](https://maggies-scribblings.tumblr.com)


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